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An ode to those grand steamer trunk labels

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“Show me your luggage and I’ll tell you who you are,” stated a Louis Vuitton slogan from the 1920s.

“World Tour: Vintage Hotel Labels From the Collection of Gaston-Louis Vuitton” by Francisca Mattéoli (Abrams: $60) harks back to the early 20th century, when travel was exclusive and passengers rode the Orient Express, set sail on luxurious ocean liners and stayed in grand hotels in Vienna, Rio de Janeiro and Shanghai. Steamer trunks adorned with promotional stickers and labels reflected the itineraries of exotic locales and cosmopolitan resorts such as the Grand Hotel in Rimini, Italy, and Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo.

The labels span the period from the 1920s through the 1950s and reflect the Art Deco and Art Nouveau design styles of the time.

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More than 900 hotel labels selected from the 3,000-piece collection amassed by Gaston-Louis Vuitton, world traveler and grandson of Louis Vuitton, are showcased in the book, along with period photographs and pullout vintage postcards.

The book is due out March 5 and available for preorder on Amazon.

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