culture The Museum Gift Shop Is the Museum You exit through it for a reason. On postcards, tote bags, and the souvenir theory of art. R Rufus Marlowe January 18, 2026 · 5 min read · The Museum Gift Shop Is the Museum. Photo: The History Wizard of Cambridge / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) Longform's reader requires JavaScript. The full text of this story is available through our content service.