Armchair Expeditions

For hundreds of years, travelers relied almost exclusively on print media for information about far-off places. Travel literature physically guided people such as immigrants, aristocrats, and middle-class tourists through foreign lands, and mentally transported readers who could not undertake physical journeys. However, this literature not only produced images of distant lands, but also shaped the reader’s sense of both their own national and cultural identity, and the relationship between the “foreign” and the “familiar.” From the recollections of a 17th century missionary in the Americas to the mass-production of proto-virtual reality devices in the early 20th century, Armchair Expeditions embarks on an exploration of how colonialism, industrialization, and political interest influenced (and were influenced by) the larger cultural narratives within societies that produced travel literature and ephemera.

Questions about any of the material in this exhibition can be directed to college_archives@stolaf.edu.