BL Sept Oct 08 17-32

�
Travel Treasures
Art & Antiques by Dr. Lori
eek
Travelers of yesteryear remembered their
and
journeys through objects they acquired on the
grand tour. Today, many of us are engaged in
the time-honored tradition of hunting for and
�
gathering travel mementos, collectible curios,
and objects from far-off lands. The treasures
from our travels have come to document who
we are and where we have visited.
e
Shall
Curio Collecting marketplace. Travelers have
The desire to tour the four corners, and then, learned to save and savor
to return home with unique conversation pieces objects associated with travel-
�
and curiosities (a.k.a., curios) remains popular both natural and man-made.
with world travelers, antique hunters, and shop-
pers alike. For instance, maps detailing a jour- Sea-shell Memories
ney remain travel favorites as they document Some of the most popular
military, social, or cultural history. Many people travel collectibles are also the simplest. Take, for highly impressive art and antiques collection
ind
collect travel post cards and visually-stimulating example, the seashell. Sound familiar? You are of the Holland America Line (HAL), the silver
cruise line posters showing the scope of travel walking along a beach, enjoying your vacation, mounted seashell is on display on HAL’s ms
collectibles. Many travel treasures command and you pick up a seashell. You drop it into a Veendam luxury cruise liner alongside a litany of
great interest dufﬂ e bag, take it home, and it ends up on a ﬁ ne art and antique treasures. Accompanied by
Grab a GPS device and take part in the worldwide, high-tech treasure hunt in one or all
in the sec- shelf or displayed on your desk. Did you know numerous objects of old which compliment the
ondary that this act of travel collecting is centuries old? décor of the beautiful cruise ship, this oversized
of the ten counties in Pennsylvania known as the Allegheny Geo Trail.
Yes, our jet setting counterparts who traveled nacreous shell came from the Indian Ocean
during the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries did and was a prized possession in its day. Similar
The coordinates for the AGT can be found at www.alleghenygeotrail.com. All you need to get started is to obtain your free
much the same thing. They collected seashells authentic examples range in value from $2,000
passport. Once you have located a minimum of six ﬁ nds and stamped the passports in any one of the counties you may
from various sites. to $3,000 on the secondary antiques market.
Today, the shell and other art and antiques on
present it for validation and receive your county geocoin award. When a cache is discovered, its ﬁ nders take an item
Dutch Shells and Dramatic Ships board represent the cruise line’s dedication to
from the container and leave another in its place. Some of the caches are easy to ﬁ nd, while others are hidden in trees,
An early 1820s silver-mounted Nautilus Pom- highlighting the history of seafaring and tourism.
pilius shell cup from the Netherlands is a prime A highly sought after piece, the impressive sea-
on mountain peaks or beneath rocks. This is a fun sport to spend outdoors time with your family members.
and quintessential travel collectible. From the shell cup is a Continental piece mounted in
Visit
www.alleghenygeotrail.com
For More Information
Oil Region Alliance PO Box 128 Oil City, PA 16301
#295
24 Bucks Lehigh Magazine
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 | Page 12 | Page 13 | Page 14 | Page 15 | Page 16