Souvenirs

The souvenir is a type of object that is kept as a reminder of a place, person, or event. As such, any object has the capacity to perform the role of a souvenir as long as it has a physical or imaginative connection with the past it represents. It emerged as a recognizable type of material culture in the British home during the seventeenth century, particularly during the expansion of the British Empire when the practice of collecting “exotic” objects for display in cabinets of curiosity became popular. Today souvenirs continue to form an integral part of the home and are central to tourism practices. Although there is a growing body of academic research analyzing the role souvenirs play in both contexts, their significance is ...