Art
By 2019, gift shops lined America's most visited streets, selling trinkets bearing city names and iconic landmarks. These modest shops became expected waypoints in tourism—places where visitors bought proof of their travels and locals worked seasonal jobs amid the commerce of memory.
Art · Full story
You push through the glass door and the air conditioning hits you. Rows of snow globes, refrigerator magnets, and t-shirts crowd narrow shelves. A carousel of postcard racks spins slowly. Everything says WASHINGTON, D.C. The cashier watches from behind the counter as you pick up a mug, turn it over, and decide whether this moment deserves to come home with you.
Reflect
What do you buy when you travel, and why? What does a souvenir mean to you?