PRANGINS.- A new exhibition at the Château de Prangins – Swiss National Museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the pioneering era of tourist world travel, from the late 19th to the early 20th century. Titled "World Tours. From Jules Verne to the First Globetrotters," the exhibition delves into the motivations, routes, and experiences of the adventurous individuals who embarked on these groundbreaking journeys for leisure.

The exhibition highlights the transformative period that began around 1869, spurred by the opening of the San Francisco-Yokohama shipping line and the completion of the American transcontinental railway. These advancements, coupled with the immense popularity of Jules Verne's 1872 novel, Around the World in 80 Days, ignited a global fascination with circumnavigating the planet.

Developed in collaboration with researchers from the University of Geneva as part of the Swiss National Science Foundation project "Making the World," the exhibition meticulously traces the footsteps of thousands of predominantly Western tourists who undertook these grand tours between 1869 and 1914. Among them were notable Swiss figures like Emilio Balli and Lina Bögli. Visitors will discover the reasons behind these journeys, the diverse paths taken, and the array of objects and souvenirs these early globetrotters brought back as tangible memories of their adventures.

The exhibition, featuring approximately 300 artifacts, is structured as an eight-stage journey through this pivotal period. The initial stages explore the burgeoning "mania" for world tours in popular culture, showcasing how the concept permeated books, advertisements, and even everyday objects. For those unable to travel physically, a variety of virtual experiences, from panoramas to early cinema, offered a taste of global exploration.

However, the exhibition doesn't shy away from the historical context of these tours, acknowledging their entanglement with colonialism, patriarchy, and capitalism. It examines how these journeys both reflected and reinforced the power dynamics of the time, with historian Fabio Rossinelli providing insights into Switzerland's role in colonial imperialism.

Visitors can also explore the innovative ways people experienced the world virtually, such as through stereoscopic photographs that offered a three-dimensional illusion of distant lands. The exhibition further highlights the crucial role of timekeeping in these ambitious journeys, emphasizing how the concept of time zones and the race against the clock, famously embodied by Verne's protagonist, shaped the experience.

The enduring impact of Around the World in 80 Days is given its due, showcasing how the novel not only captivated readers but also spawned a wide range of merchandise, bringing a sense of the exotic into the homes of many. The exhibition then introduces the "globetrotters" themselves – predominantly privileged Western men (though some women also feature) who sought both pleasure and education through their travels, often collecting artifacts and publishing their accounts. The often-overlooked contributions of the countless individuals working in the burgeoning tourism industry are also acknowledged.

The latter stages of the exhibition detail the material conditions that made these world tours possible, from the development of transoceanic steamships and railways to the rise of tour operators and grand hotels. The classic routes and popular stopovers are mapped out, revealing a world largely explored through a Western lens.

Finally, the exhibition prompts reflection on the evolution of world travel, contrasting the motivations of these early globetrotters with those of later backpackers and considering the future of such extensive travel in an era of climate change and over-tourism.

"World Tours. From Jules Verne to the First Globetrotters" offers a rich and nuanced perspective on a transformative period in travel history, revealing how the dream of circumnavigating the globe moved from the realm of fiction to a tangible, albeit complex, reality. The exhibition is a result of collaborative research and provides a valuable insight into the early days of global tourism and its lasting cultural impact.