1940's Luggage Tags

Terminus Palace Hotel Antwerp These are from our Mother's mementos. The backs have glue and they have never been stuck on anything. In the 1940s, luggage tags served several important purposes for travelers and the transportation companies (railroad, steamship, and increasingly, airlines) they used: * Identification and Routing: The primary function was to identify the owner of the luggage and ensure it was routed to the correct destination. These tags would typically include information like the passenger's name, destination, and possibly flight or train numbers. For airlines, the tags also started to include the baggage weight, which was crucial for load distribution on aircraft. * Advertising and Status Symbols: Luggage labels, especially those from hotels, resorts, railway companies, and airlines, became a form of advertising. They often featured artistic, eye-catching designs with logos, illustrations of aircraft, or destinations. Travelers would accumulate these labels on their luggage, turning their bags into pictorial records of their journeys and even status symbols, showcasing where they had been. * Proof of Ownership/Collection: Bag tags were also used as proof for passengers to collect their luggage at the destination, and in some cases, are still requested at airports to ensure passengers aren't taking someone else's bag. They also served as a means for carriers to trace lost or astray bags.