Europe – 1926 Tour Catalog

Description

The booklet gives information on a variety of tours to various countries in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, etc.). There is text about each country, some of the key attractions, itineraries, etc. There are black & white photos of some of the attractions (such as Big Ben in London).
Most tours range in cost from ,250-,500 (the equivalent of nearly ,000 to ,000 in 2020 dollars!); these tours were for the wealthy.
The booklet contains 100 pages and measures approximately 6 x 9.25 inches.
The Raymond and Whitcomb Agency, opened in Boston in 1879, become the gold standard for luxury travel in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
A Raymond and Whitcomb trip was going to involve private rail cars, first class service and luxury hotels. “See America First” author Marguerite S. Shaffer wrote, “Early on tourist agencies such as Raymond and Whitcomb offered a sense of exclusivity and refinement, assuring elite tourists that they would circulate among people of their own social standing.”
Initially the company booked trips to the White Mountains in New Hampshire and to Washington, D.C. and later added transcontinental voyages. Here are some sample Raymond and Whitcomb offerings:
1887 – Raymond’s Vacation Excursion to Washington, D.C. – leaves from Boston. “Five days in the national capital. Carriage ride to the public buildings and other points of interest. Visit to Mount Vernon.”
1888 – Raymond’s Yellowstone National Park Excursion – leaves from Boston, New York and Philadelphia. “A grand excursion to the Yellowstone National Park with incremental trips to Chicago, Milwaukee, the Dells of the Wisconsin, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Niagara Falls, etc.”
1906 – Raymond and Whitcomb’s Tour of California – leaves from Boston, New York and Philadelphia. “Excursion to the Pacific Coast via the Santa Fe route. Through Pullman Vestibule Cars to Los Angeles without change.”
By the 1920’s the agency was offering cruises to Latin America and the Mediterranean, around Africa and around the world.