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Mini Memories
When you think of a place you’ve visited, what comes to mind? Maybe it is a popular tourist attraction, historic event, or even an impressive bridge? For centuries, travelers have sought to bring home remembrances of their adventures. The word “souvenir” comes from the French word for “memory” and can trigger recollections of places seen and experienced, from the spectacular to the routine. Acquiring one of these objects is a means of commemorating, whether it’s the trip of a lifetime, or opening a new bank account. Souvenirs in the form of buildings, monuments, or infrastructure are little objects that can hold major significance.
The 400 structures on view in this exhibition range from awe-inspiring architectural wonders and feats of engineering to less remarkable—but to the right person, just as meaningful—department stores, insurance companies, and factories. Not intended to be accurate models of the built world, these miniatures can be abstract or highly detailed, or altogether make-believe. Many also have practical uses, doing double-duty as coin banks, bookends, thermometers, or clocks.
Mini Memories will take visitors on a world tour of examples from around seventy countries in 1,000 square feet to explore how souvenir buildings are made, how they are used, and celebrate their remarkable variety.
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