A luggage label, luggage sticker, baggage sticker or baggage label is an adhesive label placed over a traveler's luggage for identification purposes.[1][2][3] Usually issued by hotels, restaurants, railways and cruise companies, they became popular between the mid-19th century and the early 20th century, in the so-called Golden Age of Travel, with the popularization of mass tourism and the development of railroads, ocean liners and eventually of air travel.

A suitcase with several luggage stickers

Aside their utilitary purpose, luggage labels were also a form of advertisement, sporting elaborate designs;[4] after the latter half of the 20th century, their use dwindled, becoming vintage collection items since then.[2]

Forerunner

edit

The Romans used baggage labels made from lead.[5]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Hill, Kate (15 May 2017). Britain and the Narration of Travel in the Nineteenth Century: Texts, Images, Objects. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-79473-7.
  2. ^ a b Grafton, Carol Belanger (24 July 2002). Old-Fashioned Luggage Labels. Courier Corporation. ISBN 978-0-486-42194-0.
  3. ^ Craig, David (1988). Luggage labels : mementos from the golden age of travel. Internet Archive. San Francisco : Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0-87701-531-4.
  4. ^ "The Golden Age of Travel and the History of Luggage Tags | Barnebys Magazine". Barnebys.com. 20 December 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  5. ^ "Roman lead baggage label". amgueddfa.cymru. Amgueddfa Cymru. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
edit