Sources and Method

Who is a globetrotter?

A globetrotter is someone who travels the world for extended periods, often with limited resources and without commercial purposes. Unlike the traditional Grand Tour of the European elites, the globetrotting phenomenon is characterized by its more democratic and accessible nature, involving even the less privileged classes.

The figure of the globetrotter embodies a form of travel based on:

• Adventure and personal discovery
• A challenge against oneself or against time
• Autonomy in means and choice of route

Sources and methodology

This catalog is the result of twenty years of research conducted in libraries and archives. The sources used include:

• Postcards and materials produced by the globetrotters themselves
• Historical newspaper and periodical archives
• Published travel diaries and accounts
• Specialized bibliography and digital resources
• Unpublished archival materials

The challenges

The subject has fluid and elusive boundaries. Who is truly a globetrotter? How can “certification” criteria be established? Many micro-stories prove unreliable: careful investigation has often revealed episodes of partial or outright fiction. Information found on period postcards, for example, must be treated with caution, as they were often tied to commercial strategies for sales or self-support.

Selection criteria

The initiatives considered on the site share the following features:

• Spontaneity and absence of commercial intent
• Independent planning with a defined beginning and end
• Impact on the collective imagination
• Originality in approach or execution

The timeframe of reference

The catalog focuses mainly on the period 1850–1945. The year 1850 marks the beginning of a new era:

• Thomas Cook developed the first international travel packages
• The World’s Fairs were launched (London 1851)
• Travel literature expanded greatly, with authors such as Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson

The year 1945 represents a symbolic watershed: the end of World War II radically transformed society and the global economy. Tourism would increasingly take on the traits of a mass industry.

The site also includes profiles of globetrotters active after this period, and even contemporary ones. This makes it possible to build a more complete diachronic perspective on the phenomenon.

How to consult the profiles

The website presents individual profiles containing the collected information and references for further exploration. The information may be supplemented or corrected by the user community, ensuring continuous updates—particularly important for external web links. These pages do not aspire to encyclopedic completeness, but instead offer a multifaceted look at a fascinating phenomenon that helped democratize the experience of travel and tourism.