History and Activities of Museum

Two Lace Museums were founded in Vamberk in the first half of the 20th century Lace Museum and Municipal Museum. But the collecting and presenting tradition in Vamberk is older and started in the second half of last century, at the time of Czech National Revival. After founding first Museums in Bohemia, Museum Associations started to appear as well and collecting of historical Czech and Slavonic material was organised. The museology point of view was mainly important at the end of the 19th century, at the time of organising regional ethnographic exhibitions and a choice of objects for the National Ethnographic Czechoslovak Exhibition in Prague in 1895. At the time the basis of the Vamberk collection was set up. For the time being it was placed in a local school. The Lace Museum in Vamberk is a specialised branch of the Orlicke hory District Museum (OMOH) in Rychnov nad Kneznou, authorised to operate in whole-state scope in 1986. At present, the Lace Museum administrates more than 4,300 collection items. If necessary, it may complete its collection funds with objects from the OMOH's collections. Since 1997, the Lace Museum has made research of the contemporary lace trade in the Vamberk region. Through organising exhibitions and an organisational assistance, it shares in the preparation and implementation of the International Meetings of Lace Makers in Vamberk. The Museum's head is Marie Hulcova, the collection administrator and conservationist is Alena Lerchova, and also Jitka Pivcova, an OMOH ethnographist, collaborates with the Museum. The origin of the collection related to lace-making in Bohemia, Moravia, Slovakia and West Europe is connected with founding the lace school in Vamberk, opened in 1889. The collection was used for the pedagogical purpose but there has always been the idea of founding the Lace Museum Personalities from the class of burghers, factory owners and traders were interested in making a publicity for lace-making industry and the town. They created a financial background and participated in creating both museums and a school. They were also active in a Museology Association Lutzow which was officially founded in 1924. The initiator and a spirit of all the preparatory works was a president of the School Committee, the councillor Mr. Bednar.

The Lace Museum was opened 30.6.1929 in the presence of many important guests. This festive act was preceded by several years of efforts of the committee of the lace school. They were morally and materially supported by the State School Institute for Home Production in Prague, Ministry of Education and Chamber of Commerce in Hradec Kralove. It is possible to get the idea about the look of the Museum from the historical photographs . Lace samples were adjusted behind a glass in wide carved wooden frames. Lace tools were placed in cases. Both lace and the whole costumes were provided with detailed descriptions, but this arrangement missed a systematic way of sorting. It is evident that the origin of the Museum comes from the historical needs of the region, production, trade and education. We are quoting from the report about the activities of the First Czech State Specialised Lace School in Vamberk: Lace Museum of the Lace School in Vamberk is a monument of those from whose hands bobbins had fallen out a long time ago, and it is a strong reminder to the present people to take care with love and dedication at this precious ability and talent of people of our region, because only thanks to the understanding of the town and region we can keep this beautiful old lace tradition ñ heritage of our ancestors.These are the words which were true not only at the time when they were written, in 1939. Public activities of the Museum were interrupted by the Second World War and were not re-established again. The School Institute of Art Production was taking care at the collection. The exhibition was used for the school purpose.

Lace samples from Vamberk Lace School Lace Museum Vamberk

Museum Association Lutzow opened the Museum Lutzow in the Town Hall at 5.7.1931. This museum presented collections which were collected at the occasion of ethnographic exhibitions in the 19th century. Already since 1925 this museum had been a member of the Association of Czech Museums and the Association of Friends of Antiques. The president of the Museum Association at the time of the opening was Antonin Koblic, the custodian was Josef Cerny. The Museum appealed to the public with a request for helping them with enlarging their collection. Museum took part in a cultural life of the region and presented the collection objects on exhibitions. In 1949 the Museum has moved to Bednarís house No. 86 where Obcanska beseda (Civic Association) had a seat. On a meeting in July 1952 members of the association were announced about the law which cancels the activities of the associations and that they have a possibility to continue their activities as a National History and Geography Club within Osvetova beseda (Educational Association). The Municipal Museum became, as all museums, the state property and was managed by the local National Committee. A Museum Manager was responsible for the expert side of the collection. The manager was appointed by the IV. department of the District National Committee, who was responsible for museums. The activities of Vamberk Museology Association were terminated at the plenary session at 14.12.1952. But Museumís moving in the new building apparently continued and there is a summary report about the aims to present the collection on small exhibitions in 1953-1955. Further records are missing till 1958 when there are the news about proceeding reconstruction of the building of Obcanska beseda.

In 1959 a teacher Bohumil Pavel became a new manager. At the time of his management there was a fast improvement in the aims for the revival of Museumís activities, finishing of installations and opening Museum for public. He gained new space for the Museum. Mr. Pavel divided work and collection into 12 parts and each member of the Museum Council was responsible for one of them. All of them worked in a harmony with a support of local companies and leaders of the town on reconstruction and furnishing with the aim of creating a valuable museum corresponding with the requests of the time. The Municipal Museum in Vamberk started to be specialised in lace-making following a state trend of specialising Czechoslovak museums. The Museum managed to get important collections or their parts not only from museums in their district or region. They also managed to get the collection of board with lace from the collection of former Museum of Applied Arts in Hradec Kralove, as well as the lace collection from EXPO Brussels 58. The main part of this world exhibition was made by lace-makers employed in the co-operative Vamberk Lace. Already in the half of 1959 the Museum proposed a co-operation and exhibiting space to the co-operative. This offer was accepted. The co-operative appointed their representative to the Museum Council and decided to create a lace exhibition in the Museum. Every year since then the co-operative added their products to the exhibition. Bohumil Pavel also achieved, that the exhibition of historical lace, placed in the lace school, became the part of the Municipal Museum in Vamberk. The new exhibition was opened to public 1.5.1961. At the time the Museum even had a photographic laboratory, phonetic equipment and a lecture hall with a cinema cabin and a projector. The Museum had a very active life in the town surroundings and the closest part of the region.

The ethnographer Jitka Pivcova became the director of the Museum in 1968 as a professional full-time employee with the University degree. She understood well the direction of the specialisation of the Museum and she even learnt to make lace. During this period the new exhibition was arranged. Also the lace from EXPO Montreal 67 was presented. The part of this collection was given to the Vamberk Museum in 1969 by the Ministry of Culture of the Czechoslovak Republic through the Research Institute of Production Co-Operatives A year later the Museum started with its presenting activities by the exhibition of contemporary studio creation called Lace 70 . They published a catalogue with a biographical data and information about the creation of the authors represented on the exhibition. Other exhibitions( from the 70s mapped lace-making in different levels of origin, production and creation. There was not the regional production but also the central and high education as well as contemporary art production. The Museum found its bearings in the lace development in Czechoslovakia and started to use this knowledge in organising the collection. The Museum started the co-operation with the co-operative Vamberk Lace Vamberk as well as with the important central institutions and the individual artists, the work of which they tried to document. In 1971 they gained a wide set of products of the co-operative Vamberk Lace, they started to buy lace from the authors, got the old lace and systematically catalogued the objects and photodocuments. The specialised library was founded. There were more and more contacts and co-operation with museums in the whole republic. On the exhibitions it was possible to see lace made in other regions, other lace techniques, folk and studio lace. Lace from Vamberk collection used to be lent to the important republic, foreign or international exhibitions. The Museum regularly informed public about its activities and aroused great interest. In the half of 70s there were 30.000 visitors in the museum. The museum developed the activities which went beyond the usual work of the Municipal Museum and space possibilities of the building. The leading board of the town of Vamberk decided to free and later to reconstruct, for the use of the Museum, historically precious building No. 88, the house of L. Bednar from 1915.

During moving the Museum took the advantage of empty space in the old building to organise exhibitions presenting the production of personalities of lace field ñ life work of Elena Holeczyova (arranged in a co-operation with the National Museum in Martin), work of Vamberk designer Anna Kuncova, work of Marie Vankova and with the help of the Museum of Applied Arts in Prague also a great exhibition of work of Marie Sedlackova - Serbouskova. In the 70s museums there was a process of integration of museums. Most of small municipal museums were joined to bigger institutions. Also the Vamberk Museum became 1.1.1976 the branch of the District Museum of Eagle Mountains in Rychnov nad Kneznou with the help of which the new exhibition was established. For this the whole of the first floor of the house No. 88 was modified. It was opened to public in 1980. The author of scenario and a choice of the objects for the exhibition remained Jitka Pivcova who became the ethnographer of the District Museum. Both the experts and amateurs co-operated with this institution and in the branch called Lace Museum the collection kept enlarging thanks to gifts, purchase, collecting, inheritance and transfers. Thanks to a systematic acquisition work it was possible to bring to the collection the production of the individual artists. The exhibition also attracted the attention of foreign specialists. Lace Museum became a popular participant in the exhibitions organised abroad. Since the half of 80s it has been authorised to collect the objects all around the republic. The building of the museum, which has been managed by the District Museum of Eagle Mountains since 1984 and became its property, was used for the Lace Museum in the 80s, there were two shops in the ground floor and a lace school has been operating in the second floor for almost ten years. There was not much space left for the presentation of the museum. Rychnov District Museum accepted the offer of the House of Culture in Opocno, which had a seat in a renaissance summerhouse with a beautiful exhibition hall. The results of this co-operation were many exhibitions, amongst the others also big solo exhibitions of work of Marie Vankova, Milca Eremiasova a Emilie Frydecka . This is a period of a co-operation between Jitka Pivcova and Marie Hulcova, who also organised other big exhibitions, where lace was presented as a cloths and interior accessory. The source of objects was a rich textile collection of Rychnov District Museum .

Elena Holeczyova with her lace-maker Bozena Stefkova from Peklo nad Zdobnici at the opening of her exhibition

The museum has entered the 90s with the aim of creating a good quality deposits, to finish revision of the collection, to choose the lace which need the expert care and to complete cataloguing at all levels. In order to be able to fulfil its specialisation, the Museum has decided to use the whole building for its needs. The shop of lace and lace tools and a small exhibition hall for lace exhibitions were established in the space of former shops. Since 1994 these exhibitions have been organised as a part of the International Meetings of Lace-Makers in Vamberk . Every year the Museum co-operates in preparing these meetings. In the part of the exhibition, the objects of which already needed the expert care, a great exhibition of modern lace production, specialising in the interior works, called Contemporary Czech Lace had been opened for two years. During the preparatory works the museum has started a co-operation with dr. Vera Klimesova who also co-operated in preparing and realising the new exhibition opened in May 1996. The complete preview of the development of Czech lace-making till present production needed a new conception of using the building. Except the lace collection, all the other collections of former Municipal Museum and the archaeological department have been moved to the Rychnov District Museum. The part of gained space has been modified for the purpose of the new exhibition. Remaining space is being modified with the aim of creating conditions for the educational and research activities and for the preservation work.

How and when to visit the Museum Visiting season April and October : Saturdays and Sundays 9 - 12 and from 13 - 16 May to September : daily except Mondays 9 - 12 and from 13 - 17 Other terms are possible to be agreed address: Muzeum krajky VilÌmkova 88 517 54 Vamberk Czech Republic Telefon : + 420 445 541 518 E-mail:omoh@rychnov.czcom.cz