ABSTRACT
Souvenirs are travelling objects par excellence, and their prominence in the nineteenth century reflects the increased incidence and reach of travel during the period. The collecting of souvenirs expanded in the nineteenth century through a combination of a Romantic sensibility privileging the material remains of intimate experiences and the growth in overseas travel. As touristic travel expanded, so did the purchase and collection of souvenirs abroad. Colonial souvenirs of conflict were collected by a range of people in the period, not just by serving soldiers. If colonial violence was to be referenced in Britain, it needed to be in a public, not a private, space. The nature of colonial territories and their relationship to the metropole was in particular flux in the late nineteenth century, as new territories were sought in Africa and Victoria's title as Empress of India was created.
