Since the United States’ founding 250 years ago, many Americans enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, visiting places that are important to US history and culture. As tourism became popular in the mid-to-late 1800s, visitors to cities and historic sites wanted to take home a memory of their travels—a souvenir. The word comes to English from the French word souvenir, meaning “to remember.” The concept of a physical item that symbolizes a memory has existed for centuries, but during the industrialization of the 1800s, souvenirs started to be mass-produced and sold to tourists.
The souvenirs of America in this exhibit were all brought home by past Oshkosh residents who visited places across the US. Each one represents a person’s memory of a trip. But each one also represents a piece of American history. You are invited to learn this history through these saved mementos.
On view now in the Parlor of the Historic Sawyer Home
