The custom of young, upper-class gentlemen taking a Grand Tour of Europe began in the late-seventeenth century. At that time, the Grand Tour was viewed as a right of passage which would prepare a young Englishman for his life amongst the nobility or landed gentry. Traditionally, the Grand Tourist would begin in Southern England, set sail across the English Channel, visit Paris, perhaps Geneva, tour Italy, including Venice, Florence, and Rome, then return north through the German-speaking areas of Europe, stopping in Dresden or Berlin, before returning home to the British Isles via the low countries. During the course of the Tour, the young lord or gentleman was expected to gain fluency in French, educate himself about the geography, peoples, and traditions of the Continent, observe first-hand the art and architecture of Renaissance masters, make pilgrimages to important religious sites, as well as acquire a whole host of souvenirs which were shipped back to England to furnish his home or estate. As aspiring, middle-class Americans, the Voigts saw themselves as heirs to this tradition. In the year 1900, Clara Voigt Hake, her husband Dr. William F. Hake, and her sister Emma Voigt set out for their very own Grand Tour. By this time, the Grand Tour has become increasingly more accessible, and the Voigts took full advantage, crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a steamship, and riding trains between major destinations. In addition to many of the standard Tour stops, the Voigt sisters visited their father's birthplace in Saxony. As they traveled, they frequently sent letters and postcards home to their family, many of which are preserved in the Museum's archives. Another way that Clara and Emma helped give meaning to their version of the Grand Tour, was through the collecting of the silver souvenir teaspoons like this one. These spoons are each engraved with words and images that evoke the essence of a specific place they visited. These spoons serve a dual purpose, as both beautiful decorative arts objects, and links to memories of perhaps the most significant trip in their lives.
