Glass Museum
Museum of Bags
Bags started of as a necessity for men, before it became the most important fashion item in a woman's wardrobe. The Museum of Bags tells the 'bag-story' from unique historical items to timeless classics. Amongst the collection are Margaret Thatcher’s iconic bag and Madonna’s Versace bag.
In an effort to introduce to the market utility glass that was not just affordable and functional but also beautifully designed from 1915 onwards P.M. Cochius - the CEO of the Glass Factory - invited various artists and designers – including the architects H.P. Berlage and Frank Lloyd Wright – to transform everyday production glass into stunning glassware of which examples can be found in the Glass Museum.
The Top 3 of Dutch museums consist of 1. Rijksmuseum (2.500.000 visitors), 2. Van Gogh Museum (2.100.000 visitors) and 3. Anne Frank House (1.296.000 visitors) but the museums with over 100.000 visitors per annum only represent 7% of the total array of Dutch museums. In the Netherlands we have over 1150 museums with 56% greet less than 100.000 visitors per annum. A number of those small museums, often maintained with a lot of love and devotion by volunteers, are put in the spotlight on this page.
Textile Museum
Museum Elburg
Forge Museum
Organ Museum
Ceramics Museum
Special: Copperware
Special Jazz Age
Glassblowing
Glass blowing is a glass forming technique that involves inflating molten glass into a bubble, with the aid of a blowpipe. It is a rather complex technique that requires a lot of patience and talent. Ancient glass has been found that dates back to 3500 B.C. At the start of our era the Syrians invented the blowpipe; the fluid material consists of sand, chalk and soda and has not changed with passing times.
If you are under the impression that the worldfamous blue tiles and tableware are only produced in Delft, you must check out the Friesian alternative. And the Ceramics Museum houses a lot more than just plates, pots and vases. I for one have never seen a 17 inches long ceramics octopus before. What about you?
The old St. Agnes Convent in Elburg is used for an exhibition on the past of this old Hansa city. Being located at the former Suydersee (now the 'IJsselmeer') fishing and trading were the main sources of income. Prior to 1392 Elburg was situated on a different spot; that year the order was issued by the Duke of Gelre to move the city for political reasons. The relocation of Elburg took four years (1392 - 1396) and explains the almost entirely rectangular lay-out.
The craft of forging exists since ancient times and played an essential role at the time. Especially Celts and Germans created the most beautiful forged waponry and objects. Both the Greec and the Romans worshipped a god of fire and forging, respectively Hephaestos and Vulcan. The profession of blacksmith is explained to us at the Forge Museum in Elburg.
Pipe organs are versatile instrument used in churches, synagogues, schools, theaters and concert halls. They come even in seizes for private use. The reportoire, spanning 500 years, covers classical music, sacred music, secular music and popular music (The Phantom of the Opera cannot do without). The organs in both the St.Walburgis Church in Zutphen and the St.Bavo Church in Haarlem are astoundingly beautiful. The National Organ Museum explains the history on the basis of some smaller specimen.
Copper has already been used around 8700 B.C. as came to light at excavations in the Middle East in the north of present day Iraq. Approximately 3000 B.C. the Egyptians used melted copper to create bronze. Copper was known in China as well. Copper is pliable, easy to shape and has a wonderful shine. These characteristics are all brought fully into play in combining copper wire with when Karin Marseille creates her 'Copperware', which are turned into stills by Sigel Eschkol.
Whether cotton, linen or wool, the Netherlands have a long history in producing textiles. The Textiles Museum in Tilburg shows the ins and outs on the weaving of woollen blankets . The production of woollen blankets was the warp and weft in this city in the south (province of Noord-Brabant) and made Tilburg grow rapidly at the start of the 20th century.
The 20s of the previous decade are called the 'roaring twenties' for a reason. Women did no longer consider the kitchen sink as their only domain, chaste clothing belonged to the past forever and Jazz music was played for the first time. This decade was just one long chain of parties, This Special on the Jazz age shows the fashion of those days.
