Do you like to collect objects that remind you of your travels and other life experiences? If you do, you are like legions of Londoners from the past. These aide-memoire make our past experiences part of our everyday lives.
Souvenirs and mementos take many different forms. Some travellers among us have collected postcards and spoons and paperweights, while others have amassed souvenir crockery in the form of plates, cups and vases. Londoners loyal to the British Crown preserved objects commemorating the death and coronation of monarchs. Marking individual accomplishments, school pennants, ribbons, medals and other awards are often saved. Sometimes, unlikely objects become mementos because of their deep personal associations: a lock of hair, a letter or a shell.
Another side to this story is told through the souvenirs produced for visitors to London, celebrating the city’s sites and significant achievements. This exhibition explores a wide variety of common and rare, keepsakes and cherished, objects that have been collected over the years.