Souvenir (Object Lessons)

Souvenir (Object Lessons)

<p>Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things. </p><p>For as long as people have traveled to distant lands, they have brought home objects to certify the journey. More than mere merchandise, these travel souvenirs take on a personal and cultural meaning that goes beyond the object itself. Drawing on several millennia of examples-from the relic-driven quests of early Christians, to the mass-produced tchotchkes that line the shelves of a Disney gift shop-travel writer Rolf Potts delves into a complicated history that explores issues of authenticity, cultural obligation, market forces, human suffering, and self-presentation. Souvenirs are shown for what they really are: not just objects, but personalized forms of folk storytelling that enable people to make sense of the world and their place in it.'</p><p>Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in <i>The Atlantic.</i></p><p><i>Souvenir features illustrations by </i><i>Cedar Van Tassel</i></p>