Souvenirs in Museums

    The article "The Real Thing? Souvenir Objects in the West African Collections at the Manchester Museum" by Emma Poulter addresses the place of “made for sale” objects within the museums.  Objects sold in Africa for European tourists are the focus of the case studies presented. Some argue that souvenir objects serve no purpose within museums, others argue that they can become “valuable indicators of the formation and transformation of meaning, identity, and memory across cultural boundaries at particular times and places.”

           As Europeans began to become more familiar with African cultures during the 19^th century, some cultures became known for specific things.  In European minds, these objects began to represent what was “traditional” for their culture, and all other objects were considered “untraditional.”  Therefore, African souvenirs can tell public historians a lot about what Europeans thought of the African cultures.

Souvenir design changed overtime through interactions with Europeans and processing their requests.  For example, some objects look just like the originals and look to have been made by a skilled craftsman.  On the other hand, there are objects that were specifically designed with flat backs for display on European walls.  

In the 1930s African magazines highlighted specific types of objects from specific areas which reinforced European notions of what was “traditional” in each area.  Bida, for example, became known for their metalwork.  Their metal trade relationship with Europeans led them to produce objects that were more geared towards European tastes, and “colonial administrators were thus simultaneously reconfiguring their identities and sense of place through ‘things.’”

I think that it's really interesting how much souvenir objects can tell us about cultures and history. It would be interesting to see more exhibits representing the significance of souvenir items. 

http://journals.ohiolink.edu.ezproxy.libraries.wright.edu:2048/ejc/article.cgi?issn=13591835&issue=v16i0003&article=265_trtsoiacatmm