Tokens of travel come in all forms: from photos and hotel keys to shells, rocks, postcards and handcrafted or mass-produced souvenirs.

Keep that in mind as you enjoy the new SFO Museum exhibition at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) filled with mementos from the nineteenth century to the present, including sailors’ valentines, world’s fair souvenirs, miniature monuments, transfer ware and ruby-stained glass.

The exhibit fills twenty exhibit case in the north end of the International Terminal and will be on display through July, 2013.

Here are some samples:

Souvenirs: Temple of Vesta c. 1860. Italy; Painting of Mount Vesuvius and Bay of Naples at night, late 1800s; Temple of Castor and Pollux c. 1860, Italy

Sailors’ Valentine: Shell mosaic c. 1870. Barbados
Courtesy of The Strong, Rochester, New York

(All photos courtesy of the SFO Museum)

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