Trading in Memories: Travels Through a Scavenger's Favorite Places

by Barbara Hodgson

Those who wish to understand a city's history visit museums, but Barbara Hodgson prefers a different approach. She explores the streets, bookstores, and markets, where a city reveals its most private self, displaying the contents of its attics and trash bins. Back alleys, obscure cemeteries, and hidden courtyards also offer up surprising finds and capture the essence of the city. Covering a wide cultural and physical geography from Brussels to Marrakech and Damascus to Portland, Trading in Memories follows Barbara Hodgson's travels through markets and other repositories of material culture around the world. The book looks deep into history through such objects as chandeliers left by French expatriates fleeing Shanghai in 1937 and glass lantern slides and stereoscope cards from around the world that attest to the human impulse for wanderlust, free or forced. This sumptuous book presents a wonderful visual and textual record of the true life and character of a place.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Art, Memoir, History

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 28, 2007

About the author

Barbara Hodgson is a book designer with a degree in archeology and a diploma in graphic design. She began her career in book design by working for Douglas & McIntyre, moving from freelance designer to art director prior to taking on freelance work for other publishers and ultimately forming the book-packaging company Byzantium Books with Nick Bantock in 1993.

Designing books led to writing books: Hodgson is the author of No Place for a Lady, Dreaming of East, and Italy Out of Hand, all published by Greystone Books, and several other highly praised non-fiction books. She is also the author of four acclaimed illustrated novels Lives of Shadows, Hippolyte’s Island, The Sensualist, and The Tattooed Map.

Hodgson’s books are unique in that they combine her writing with a multitude of illustrations of various types drawn from a wide range of sources, including engravings, lithographs, photographs, stereo-cards, postcards, movie stills, and pulp magazine and novel covers. These days, the flea market is the consummate collector’s primary source of research and inspiration.

Barbara Hodgson lives in Vancouver.

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

transbahutage

[V · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little wonder of a book. I am glad to find I am not the only collector of odd bits and pieces when I travel. I always come back with a suitcase of souvenirs of uncertain providence.
This book made me want to book another holiday right now.
This is a book about collecting something different as you travel. Looking beyond the tourist traps and trying to get a glimpse of real life. It is really only a snippet of a life of travelling and really is just a sip from a large pot but very readable and relatable. Most of us have probably gone out of our way to collect something worthwhile to us but not to anyone else, but what fun you have on the way - that is what this book celebrates.
I recommend this to anyone about to start on their travels for a little bit of inspiration to look farther afield than the local souvenir shops and try some of the local markets, stationers, antique shops and more as find your own collecting muse.

[Dianne Trautmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Hodgson is an intrepid traveler and this guided tour of some of her favorite places to find ephemeral treasures was a delight that left me wanting more.

[Solveig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another of Barbara Hodgson's wonderfully designed non-fiction books - I've read the other two, and enjoyed every second. My brother gave "Trading in memories" to me for Christmas, and I read it in one sitting.

I agree with some of the other reviewers here that it is a survey more than an in-depth look at places. However, the places are not meant to be the centre of attention, it's the things and the people that count. You don't need a detailed analysis of, say, Paris to be able to appreciate stories from its many flea markets. Having travelled a little myself, I especially appreciate the description of markets I've visited myself (it's always nice to get a second perspective).

Of course, it takes a special sort of reader to appreciate a book about buying more or less useless stuff around the world - but for those, this book is wonderful.

[Kerri · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book is extraordinary, yet it's presentation is very disappointing. I think the author's practice of really learning the culture of the areas through which she travels is genius; I only wish the "snap shot" approach to the novel was less brief...her editor should be ashamed of him/herself.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another beautiful art book from Barbara Hodgson ... collage and design are gorgeous. I wrote a bit about it on my book blog

My Reading Diary

[DoctorM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ephemera and marginalia and found art--- in the tradition of Nick Bantock, and very much a book that left me hungering for travel and for rummaging in little stationers' shops in distant cities.

[Saturday's Child · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love her observations and I love the illustrations in this little book. One that I can pick up and enjoy time and time again.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at a traveler who collects ephemera rather than traditional tourist items on her treks round the world. The illustrations are a big plus to the volume.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very visually appealing book from Barbara Hodgson. Lovely little stories to accompany the beautiful and interesting photographs.

[Nadia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was really interesting, but I felt like all the stories could have had a little more depth to them, they felt incomplete.-

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful ephemera included in the book and while I was tempted to tear some of the pages out, I didn't.