Museum Shops. An Anthropological Essay on Heritage Commodification Exemplified by Three Museums in Amsterdam

Abstract

The paper presents in an essayistic form three Amsterdam’s museums: Rijksuseum, Tropenmuseum and Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder not in terms of a presentation of their history and collections, but in terms of the idea of heritage commodification and planning, which is embodied in museum shops combined with cafés and restaurants. Amsterdam’s museums are overshadowed by high-profile stereotypes about the city. They are not among the world’s most popular museums as the Netherlands itself is not a top tourist destination. Therefore, the relaxed atmosphere of Amsterdam’s museums – distinguished by its own style between heritage conservation, pragmatism, Protestant ethics, and the existential concept of gezelligheid – needs to be operationalised as an implementation model in other museums around the world. Furthermore, the very subject of museum shops – in terms of their role in heritage commodification and planning – has not been a crucial subject of reflection in the humanities or social sciences. This essay contributes to the study of museum shops as places where the exhibits “exit” the museum room, while the museum “enters” the market. The author points out that the concept of “museum shop” in the context of Amsterdam has a double meaning, emphasising that in this city the division between the sacred museum and the profane street is fluid.