For all of my regular readers, this won’t be a shock to you, but I bought a lot of books on my trip. A lot, a lot. Now, although my suitcase ended up being over 4kg overweight on the way home (whoops…), I have no book buying regrets! For the most part, the books were all specific to the places I bought them- I will go back and re-read guidebooks, many times. However, I did overhear a lot of conversations about whether or not you should buy exhibition books. And after giving it some thought, I’ve come to my conclusions…
Before I go any further, I do want to clarify what I mean by exhibition books. I don’t mean exhibition catalogues (which are just that catalogues), but books written to accompany exhibitions. They typically delve into detail for key exhibition pieces, and give background and context to the exhibition. A lot of the time it will either be written by one of the curators, an expert in the field, or both. And being realistic, they can end up being quite expensive, unfortunately. However, I think that exhibition books are definitely a worthwhile buy, and belong on your bookshelf! Before you buy every exhibition book possible, I would ask yourself a few questions, though.
What is the Price?
This is an obvious, basic question, but it does need to be asked. How much is the book? Does it fit into your budget? And is it worth the price? If at all possible, look at the book before buying it. Do you feel like you are getting your money’s worth for what is included? Something to remember is that smaller exhibitions tend to have smaller exhibition books, but they also tend to be more affordable. In any case, your budget is your budget, and you always need to keep that in mind.
**Note: If you pre-purchase your ticket ahead online, some museums and/or exhibitions will offer you a discount on the exhibition book. It means you do have to decide ahead of time, but it can be an option!
Is it a Permanent Exhibition?
If it is a permanent exhibition, I would really think on whether or not you want to buy it. That isn’t to say that permanent exhibitions can’t have fantastic exhibition books, but if it is permanent, it is more likely that you will be able to find the same information on the website for years to come. (Museums tend to like to share things to encourage to people to visit.) If it is a permanent exhibition but you live nowhere near the museum, that may be a good reason to buy the permanent book! Also, if it is a permanent exhibition but they’ve had a big name in the field work on the exhibition book, it can also be a good reason to buy it.
Will You Read It Again?
I respect that some people buy books specifically to not read them, but if you really aren’t going to read the book ever, I would skip buying it. Most exhibitions have several different souvenirs to buy- books, postcards, prints, tote bags, etc., so an exhibition book isn’t typically your only option. Also, thankfully, most exhibitions will allow you to take photos of exhibitions (or most of them), so you can preserve your memories yourself. I am all for having mementos that you can actually use in your life, but I think that a book as a prop is not the best way to go. If you enjoy reading, and will read on the exhibition subject, snap it up! If not, it is probably best to take a pass.
Can You Transport It Home?
As evidenced by my 4kg overweight anecdote, you need to consider the weight and size of things, especially if you are travelling. I am usually willing to pay an overweight baggage fee if necessary on the way home. However, you may have more than one flight/journey that you need to pay it on (I usually don’t). And you also need to physically have the space. Is the exhibition book worth it? The Royal Women exhibition book from the Fashion Museum in Bath is quite small and light, but the Dior exhibition book from the V&A is a couple pounds, at the very least.
Most larger museums will sell their exhibition books through their online shop, as well. If you really don’t have the room/weight available in your luggage, this may be an option! However, before you decide to go this route, check the shipping rates. The paperback Dior exhibition book is £25 but the shipping would be £30- clearly not worth it to ship to Canada.
Did You Enjoy the Exhibition?
This is actually the biggest question for me- did you actually enjoy the exhibition? If you didn’t actually enjoy it, don’t buy it. That seems obvious, but I know a lot of people who have collect a specific thing/ item simply because they went or saw something. However, given the aforementioned price and weight of most exhibition books, I would really recommend that you only buy exhibition books if you truly loved the exhibition. (If you didn’t, are you really going to read it once, let alone multiple times?)
Do you buy exhibition books? And if you do, do you have any criteria for when you do buy them?
Cheers,
The Historian
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Thanks for a great article and for shining a light on exhibition books.
I love them but am biased as I run an online store specialising in exhibition catalogues and books from museums across the world.
I set it up after years of struggling home with hefty catalogues. We deliver worldwide and delivery is free if you spend £50 or more in the UK or Europe or if you spend £75 or more in the US and Canada.