"Prehistory
of the Konin Land"
In
a synthetic and concise way the exhibition illustrates the most significant
stages of prehistory of the region. All the exhibits come from the
Museum's own research.
The beginnings of human settlements in the Konin territory date back
to the Old Stone Age called the Paleolithic, more precisely to the
10th millennium BC. The exhibition proves the existence of such settlements
- just as those of the Mesolithic period (also called the Middle Stone
Age) - displaying various flint tools found in the valley of the Warta
River.
The
next prehistoric period, called the New Stone Age or the Neolithic
period (4500 - 1900 BC), is the era in which land cultivation and
the raising of animals was mastered. The inventions of that period
include the processes of making and baking clay pottery, weaving,
and an improved technique of stone processing through smoothing and
drilling. The exhibition presents pottery and tools characteristic
of this period.
During the Bronze Age (1900- 650 BC), the so-called Łużycka culture
was developing in our territory. The exposition shows pottery typical
of this culture as well as a cinerary urn with the contents, referring
to the funeral rite of the incinerating of the body prevailing at
that time. What speaks for an agricultural character of the economy
are a found trencher-like stone quern and a tool for pounding corn
into flour. What deserves special attention is a treasure from Konin
- Grójec, which consists of several ornaments made of bronze.
The outset of the Iron Age (650 - 150 BC) is represented at the exhibition
by the pottery of the Pomorska culture and an interesting clay rattle.
The
period of the Roman influence (25 - 375 AD) is the time when the Przeworska
culture prevailed. Agricultural progress was in strict correlation
with the development of such areas of manufacturing as steel industry
and smithery, among others due to great demand for weaponry and tools.
The exhibition presents a large selection of such objects, as well
as the most typical pottery. Contacts with the Roman Empire through
the "Amber Trail" leading through Konin are documented by
an imported piece of pottery terra sigillata from Zapowiednie, the
Pyzdry district, and a sword of a Roman legionnaire fished out from
the Warta River near Konin. Characteristic for this culture was its
funeral rite. All the belongings of the dead person were burned together
with the corpse at the stake and the pieces of pottery put into graves
were purposefully broken. The ashes of the dead together with the
remains of the stake and belongings were thrown into a previously
dug pit; occasionally the remains were placed in cinerary urns. At
the exhibition this rite is pictured with the use of the contents
of the grave of a fighter from Stawki, the Dobra district.
During the Early Middle Ages (500 - 1250 AD) a community forming in
the Polish territories gave birth to the Polish state. The exhibition
includes pottery and tools dating back to the 10th and 11th century.
An interesting item is a Viking-type ax excavated in a cemetery in
Bilczew, the Kramsk district.
The Middle Ages is the era of knighthood and castles. The exhibition
displays the elements of a knight's equipment (swords, spurs, etc.)
found during excavation carried out in knight's towns as well as the
more interesting finds from research at a castle in the town of Koło.
Special attention should also be given to a medieval boat from a single
tree trunk, the so-called dłubanka (i.e. hollowed-out), fished out
from the Powidz Lake.
Henryk Henoch Glicentsein
The exhibition devoted to
one of the greatest sculptors of the period between the two World
Wars, Henryk Henoch Glicenstein, so far is the only permanent museum
exhibition depicting both the artist's life and works. In the Israeli
town of Safet, thanks to the effort's of his family, Glicenstein's
Museum was established in 1953. The Museum was later transformed into
the Museum of Bible with an exposition of Glicenstein's sculptures.
The exhibition in Konin is divided into 3 parts. It opens with a brief
history of the artist's life, which is made up of photographs of the
town of Turek, Jewish tomb stones made in his father's workshop, family
photographs, letters written by the artist. The other room houses
drawings and watercolors given to our institution by the Dreyfuss-Glicenstein
Foundation from New York. Mostly these are drawings and sketches created
hastily, often on casual pieces of paper. The drawings depict scenes
from the life of the Jewish community, scenes from artists' lives,
family portraits, portraits of his friends. A separate group of drawings
presents horses. They were drawn mainly in the first decade of the
20th century. The watercolors were created in the final period of
Glicenstein's artistic career, i.e. between 1932 and 1940; they show
portraits, flowers, and landscapes. Exposed in the middle of the room
is a plaster cast of the sculpture "Messiah" belonging to
Muzeum Rzemiosła Tkackiego in Turek. Furthermore, the room houses
an oil painted by Glicenstein entitled "Landscape from Liguria",
a property of the District Museum in Konin.
The sculptures in the next room are deposits from Muzeum Sztuki in
Łódź (Ruth and Boas, Portrait of An Old Woman), from Zamek Królewski
in Warsaw (Portrait of A Girl), and those belonging to our Museum:
the bas relief Santa (a gift from the Dreyfuss-Glicenstein Foundation)
and a portrait bust of a young girl signed "Rome 1896 H. Glicenstein".
Next to the name his artistic pseudonym "Barami" can be
read; it is known from only few works of the artist.
The small number of Glicenstein's works in the Polish museums compels
to fill the exposition with photographs of some of his works.
Judaika
The exposition presents over 40 objects of cult, used both in
synagogue and household rites. Illustrations are made up of photographs
of the Jewish cemetery in Konin from the period between the two World
Wars and of the interior of the synagogue (Aron-ha-kodesz), occasional
photographs depicting everyday life of Jews and plans for the alteration
of the Konin synagogue.
The core of the exposition is the so-called "treasure from Sompolno"
consisting of Torah breastplate, Yads, two pairs of Rimonim, a pair
of Sabbath candlesticks. The treasure is displayed together with the
Torah, tallith, atara and Torah cover.
"Lighting equipment of the
18th-20th centuries"
The
lighting equipment displayed at the exhibition presents in chronological
order the diversity of construction solutions as well as artistic
and esthetic tastes of manufacturers and users.
First on display is candle lighting.
A candle, a source of light through centuries, depending on the raw
material used to make it, imposed construction solutions on a seemingly
simple equipment serving to support it - a candlestick. Candlestick
for tallow candles had sleeves; those for wax candles - spikes. The
discovery of stearin candles by Chevreul in 1825, and later paraffin
candles made it possible to introduce many small conveniences to the
construction of candlesticks.
On display are:
- altar candlesticks for tallow candles
- a candlestick with a spike for a wax candle
- a candelabrum with a shade serving to protect the flame from the
wind
- a candlestick with a fan serving to protect the flame
- a candlestick with a regulator allowing to remove the candle whilst
it is burning out
- a chamberstick with a candle wrapped around the shaft
- candelabra (for three, four and six candles)
- hanging candlesticks
- wall lights.
A majority of the displayed candlesticks was created in the historical
boundaries of Poland.
The end of the 18th and the first half of the 19th century were periods
when the manufacturing of a significant number of good quality silver
candlesticks was taking place. We present works of well-known goldsmiths
from Warsaw (J.I.C. Bertold) and Poznań (E.Fidler, A.Eigel, Blau).
On display there are also several candlesticks manufactured in Germany,
Austria and Russia.
In the second half of the 19th century cheaper, silver-plated candlesticks
became popular. The exhibition presents a few pieces of plated ware
by well-known manufacturers from Warsaw (L. Norblin, B. Henneberg).
Another part of the exhibition consists of tin and brass candlesticks.
Since the mid 18th century in the territory of Poland candlesticks
made of glass, faience, and porcelain have been manufactured. The
presentation of candle lighting is concluded with contemporary glass
candlesticks designed by B. Górska and J. Margaj, made in 1983 at
glassworks in Krosno.
Oil lighting
The
original construction of the oil lamp was simple (a little bowl or
goblet with solid or liquid grease and dipped wick). The oil lamp
was improved only in the mid 16th century (G.G. Cardano applied a
double tank). Another improvement was separating the tank from the
burner with a horizontal pipe (L.J. Proust in 1780). The breakthrough
in oil lighting was the construction of Argand's burner at the end
of the 18th century and a glass cylinder. In the early 19th century
the oil lamp was further improved. In 1809 Philips invented a "shadowless"
lamp, which did not cast a shadow. In 1819 Bordier-Marcet constructed
an "astral" lamp, the construction of which was further
adopted by kerosene, gas, and electric lamps and is used nowadays.
Oil lighting is represented by objects from the period between the
mid 18th century and the mid 19th century, mostly manufactured inn
Germany and Silesia.
The objects are displayed in the following order:
- olive oil lamps made of multi-color glass
- tin and brass cressets
- an olive oil lamp with a screen, the so-called mobile altar with
a multi-color print depicting the Last Supper
- an olive oil lamp, the so-called "fiorentina" (it was
a popular type of an olive oil lamp with a simple lamp moved along
a vertical rod)
- a clock oil lamp (a clock mechanism pumped oil into the wick
- a moderator oil lamp
- a wall-and-desk oil lamp
- a wall-and-table oil lamp
Last on display are "wieczna" and "Viennese" oil
lamps.
Kerosene lighting
The
invention of kerosene contributed to the increase in the use of kerosene
lighting. The development of the new type of lighting sped up a sharp
increase in kerosene extraction as well as mass industrial production
of elements of which the lamp was constructed. It also led to the
unification of these elements.
In 1853 Ignacy Łukasiewicz constructed the first kerosene lamp. The
existing oil lamps, after some modification, could be used with new
fuel. The construction of the lamp was constantly being simplified;
the kerosene tank could be placed under the burner, as kerosene was
lighter and soaked into the wick easily. All constructions facilitating
the supply of fuel to the wick became useless.
The most important element of the kerosene lamp was the burner. After
a few alterations Argand's burners were also used.
In the late 19th century, in the face of competition with gas and
electric lighting, kerosene lamps were being perfected. Chandeliers
were enriched with arms with candles (the so-called kerosene-candle
chandeliers). The construction of the burner was also being improved.
The most popular type of a kerosene lamp was a standing "table"
lamp. These were incredibly ornamental lamps in the shapes of a cup,
tin, canephora, column, baluster or an amphora. They were made of
various materials and crowned with ornamental shades of stained glass,
etched and painted with impressive patterns. A popular type of a kerosene
lamp was a floor lamp and a bed lamp, the so-called miniatures.
Different kinds of wall lights and hanging kerosene lamps, adopting
a wide variety of forms, also enjoyed great popularity. The most popular
among them was a single-flame type.
Kerosene lamps exposed in the third part of the exhibition come from
the period between the second half of the 19th century and the early
20th century. They were mainly manufactured in German and Austrian
manufacturing companies, but also in Polish and English ones.
German manufacturing companies are represented by manufacturers of
those times: Otto Müller, Carl Holy, Hugo Schneider, Schwintzer &
Graff, Friedrich Hoffmann, Wild & Wessel, Gebrüder Wolff, Erich
& Graetz.
Austrian manufacturers are first of all Rudolf Ditmar and Gebrüder
Brünner.
We also present lamps by the well-known London factory Hinks &
Son's. On display are also lamps manufactured in Polish manufacturing
companies, sparse due to historical factors (the period of the Partitions
of Poland). Among Polish manufacturers there were: Jan Serkowski and
Aron Eilstein. The Warsaw manufacturing company of kerosene lamps
Brünner-Schneider-Ditmar, belonging to manufacturers from Vienna and
Leipzig, also enjoyed great popularity.
The exposition of kerosene lighting starts with a group of standing
kerosene lamps. We present objects which have most frequently met
forms, that is of a cup, baluster, canephora, tin, column and an amphora.
Another group is made up of hanging pendants and wall lights. Among
them the most popular were single-flame ones; less common were kerosene-candle
chandeliers, which gave better light.
The presentation of kerosene lighting closes with a group of miniature
bed lamps.
Gas lighting
The
outset of gas lighting date back to the late 18th century. The first
city to enjoy gas lighting was London, followed by Paris and Berlin.
In Poland the first trials with street gas lighting were carried out
most likely in 1830 in Cracow at Gołębia Street.
The development of gas lighting was accelerated by an underground
gas network constructed to supply gaslights. Along with the development
of the network, gas lighting began to be installed in buildings, mainly
public ones. Gas was supplied to them through underground pipes.
Dominant among gas lamps were hanging pendants. Floor lamps were rarely
used because of a troublesome supply system.
The lamps exposed in this part of the exhibition come from the early
20th century.
Electric lighting
First
attempts to provide light with electric lamps took place in Paris
in 1843. The source of light was the so-called Volta's arc forming
between two carbon electrodes. For this reason we call them arc lamps.
Arc lighting was six times more expensive than gas lighting. A breakthrough
in lightning technology was the invention of the electric bulb by
T.A. Edison in 1879, a source of light used on a larger scale since
1882. In 1906 tungsten wire in bulbs was replaced by carbon filament,
spirals of osmium or tantalum. This resulted in a significant decrease
in the price of electric lighting and contributed to its mass use.
Electric energy did not require any tanks, pipes, maintaining candles
or fuel tanks in a vertical position or constructing a tight gas installation,
which was difficult to do. All this was replaced by an elastic wire
and a socket and bulb.
After the introduction of electric lamps in street lighting and industrial
plants, they gradually started to reach public buildings and private
apartments. However, kerosene, gas, and carbide lamps as well as candlesticks
were still in use.
Similarly as once a kerosene lamp from an oil one, electric lamp took
over many characteristics from kerosene and gas lamps. Up to this
day a great majority of electric lamps has the traditional layout,
in which only the circle around the base is lit with a direct light.
The lamps representing electric lighting date back to the period between
the early 20th century and the 1980s.
Technical and utility lamps and
lanterns
Apart
from the most popular lamps designed for home interiors, technical
and utility lamps and lanterns were also used. Industrial lamps of
various kinds did not have any ornamental elements except for a trademark.
These lamps were characterized by simplicity and functionality of
form.
In the 19th century carriage lanterns became popular. The best-known
included hackney carriage lanterns used up to the present day. At
the end of the 19th century carbide lamps, used for bicycles and cars,
became very popular. Mining carbide lamps, used in gasless mines,
were also manufactured. Another to appear were gasoline lamps, among
which a gasoline candle was the most popular.
Kerosene lamps became widely applied in railroading. They were used
as signal lamps in trains, semaphores, switches, to light up platforms,
station buildings and railroad crossings. It was in railroading where
the kerosene lamp was used the longest - up to the 1970s - as signal
lighting.
The presentation of technical lamps begins with a group of communication
lamps used in railroading, carriages, cars, motorcycles, and bicycles.
Another group includes photographic lamps. The most numerous group
is represented by utility lamps and lanterns. The technical lamps
exposition closes with therapeutic lamps and a group of mining lamps.
Lighting accessories
Along
with the progress of lighting technology, the standardization of particular
lamp elements began as early as at the end of the 19th century. It
affected most of all burners, cylinders, and shades. The main idea
behind this change was that parts which wear out quickly should be
easily replaceable.
The exhibition ends with the presentation of lighting accessories
dating back to the period between the mid 19th century till the 1970s:
candlesnuffers, the most popular types of burners, Auer's mantles
and bulbs, as well as cylinders for various kerosene and gas burners,
shades of different shapes for kerosene, gas and electric lamps.
We turn to museums, collectors,
and those dealing with the history of lighting asking for establishing
a contact and cooperation. Apart from wealthy collections of various
kinds of lamps and lighting accessories, we also gather books and
company catalogues. What we can offer in return are exchange of books
and experience.
