I have a query to ponder for all you folks out there who work in museums that also maintain gift shops.

I recently visited a small county museum in which there was a special exhibit on Spanish shipwrecks and underwater archaeology.  The exhibit focused on the technology of underwater archaeology, was full of gizmos, and appeared to be appreciated by the other visitors.  They looked at the artifacts on display, and I overheard more than one conversation about what life must have been like for the people on board.  In this element, I consider the exhibit to be a success.

In the museum gift shop, majolica potsherds and silver coin pendants made from silver salvaged from shipwreck sites were on sale.  There also were some whole ceramic vessels "of the types found on the ships" for sale.  The store managers had used the exhibit as a tie-in for the merchandise display, and emphasized their authenticity.  

Now, the potsherds were fragmentary and unprovenienced, everything was collected legally and with the proper permits.  However, I had some question about the message being given the interested public.  I had an interesting chat with the director of the museum.  I asked whether he thought that the sale of such items might be confusing for visitors, and if, perhaps, a small informational notecard might be placed in the gift shop, stating the museum's stance on artifacts for sale, pothunters, and why this merchandise was okay to sell.  It could be done in three or four sentences, providing the museum staff had a unified stance.  His response was that you can never know where the items come from, heck, even the t-shirts for sale could have been stolen off the back of a truck last night, he wasn't an archaeologist, he didn't know, didn't care, and, anyway, the museum's "friends of" group ran the store, and it wasn't his responsibility.  (Really, he said this.)

Never having been the one to manage a museum store or make policy decisions, I am curious to hear responses from those of you who have these responsibilities.  Is there an acknowledged connection between the messages presented in your exhibits and the types of merchandise offered for sale in your store?  Do you consider the shop to be a part of the educational component of your museum?  I haven't much exprertise on this, but am very interested to hear what others think.

Thanks.

Robin Shtulman
[log in to unmask]