Does the arrival of a New Year fill you with a sense of wanderlust? What are your travel resolutions? Currently on view in the Mary R. Schiff Library and Archives, are a selection of travel guide books.

The modern guide book originated in the 1830s. The absence of any acceptable guide books let many like John Murray and Karl Baedeker to create their own. Their guides were designed with the traveler in mind. Murray’s Handbook for Travelers first published in London in 1836 introduced the idea of “sights” and ranking attractions by order of their significance.  A travel guide that contained information on an entire region, with detailed maps and routes, and descriptions of restaurants and accommodations, including prices was a novel concept at the time.

Whether you are planning the Grand Tour or prefer the comforts of mental travel, come to the library for inspiration.