Exit through the Gift Shop: A History
– By April Neal, designer
I recently took a quick trip through the Smithsonian American History Museum while in Washington, DC. I didn’t have a lot of time, but I hit my personal highlights like Julia Child’s kitchen and the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. As a souvenir enthusiast (is that a thing?), I was delighted to see that the shop offered up some hilarious ruby slipper socks. I quickly bought a pair for my sister and me, both Oz fans from childhood. She couldn’t stop laughing when I gave them to her.
Been there, done that, have the t-shirt. It’s part of the travel ritual to purchase souvenirs at theme parks, museums, and travel stops. While this tradition occasionally comes under fire as being an insincere money grab or the materialization of our culture, the desire to keep tangible pieces of history and experience are neither new nor are they pointless. It’s possible that somewhere deep in our DNA lies a need to capture the things we’ve seen.
If early travelers wanted a keepsake, they didn’t bother with something as formal as a gift shop. They literally took whatever they wanted. Before 1859, you could stroll right up to Plymouth Rock and find a hammer and chisel, already provided if you had forgotten your own. There are documented cases of people cutting the curtains and carpets in the White House (in the crazy days when you could walk unannounced into the White House with a sharp object). Some famous politicians would offer up souvenir locks of hair to anyone with a pair of scissors and the odd desire to ask for one.
The beginning of the modern souvenir shop is the legacy of one of our founding fathers. Visitors to George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate would hack away at the house for pieces of wood trim or chop down tree limbs. The souvenir hunting, paired with the fact that historic preservation wasn’t yet a noted concern, had led the estate down a path of decay. When the estate was sold to the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, someone looked around and said, “Hmm… probably not good for this historical investment we just made.” They began making their own items from select trees on the estate, hoping that this would satisfy the need for a memento. Visitors were encouraged to direct their attention towards a selection of wood canes, hatchets, and gavels instead of chopping away at the porch of the first POTUS.
The bonus to pre-made souvenir sales was that they led to the preservation of Mount Vernon. Understanding that these historic sites were non-renewable resources, souvenir stands helped important places avoid careless destruction. The retail shop became integral in carrying on the mission of the organization. We see this in some attraction shops today, whether they serve as a financial generator for a smaller, cash-strapped location or to increase funding for conservation programs. There is a growing movement at visitor attractions to create story-heavy merchandise to further understanding and immersion into a topic.
Souvenirs are the things we can take back to our normal life to remind us of those experiences in our precious free time. Sometimes they show our alliances… to history, to a city, to animals, or to unique interests. They are proof of the check marks on your bucket list. While the modern souvenir sometimes takes the form of a funny coffee cup or beach towel, the original declaration remains the same: I was there.
Editor’s note: The voraciousness of early souvenir hunters did have the occasional upside. The love of souvenirs and collecting helped form the Smithsonian Institution’s artifact collections. Read this book for a deeper dive into more weird American memorabilia.
Miss Manners Says: The practice of stealing/vandalizing pieces of structure and statuary has not exactly died out. If you are doing this, stop. It’s a total jerk move. Leave the Goonies alone.
