Consumer industry

Polygraphy

Until the World War II, the polygraphic collection developed at two places. The older part came from the funds of the Czech Industrial Museum where graphic collections had been compiled since the 70s of 19th century. The second part is formed by original collections of the Technical Museum that had been created since 1911. Both collection were finally combined in 1944.

The collection is quite large. Altogether, it comprises almost 5000 items, some of which being composed of large sets of e.g. printed materials or printing formes. Basic part of the collection is represented by 200 machines. These are printing and finishing machines, machines for preparation of printing formes and a small group of office machines. The collection is completed with 150 pieces of tools and implements. In addition, there is a large collection of printing formes for all techniques, but, above all, letterpress blocks. Represented are also final products – books, journals, posters and other printed materials.

The collection is divided according to technological procedure of polygraphic production and according to respective printing techniques: relief printing, intaglio printing (photogravure, heliogravure and a file of remembrance of Karel Vaclav Klic), planography (offset and lithography). Another part is devoted to preparation of a printing forme, type casting and bookbinding finishing processing. Each part contains a representative example of production machines, auxiliary instruments and tools, and final products. Unique exhibit is a wooden letterprinting press from the 17th century. Other interesting objects are, for instance, the first letterprinting rotary press in the Czech lands, a cylinder flat bed machine from 1877 and a complete developmental series of lithographic machines.

Typing technique

The collection of writing and typing techniques comprises currently 370 typewriters of about one hundred different marks. The largest part is represented by serial-produced machines of American provenance, in addition there are machines from Germany, England (Salter, Lloyd), Czech lands (Zeta, Consul), but also Switzerland (Hermes), Norway (Halda) and others. The collection of writing and typing technique is completed by exhibits documenting production and using of writing pencils, fountain and writing pens, and several replicas of ancient writing instruments.

The first item in this collection was a typewriter of the firm L.C.Smith & Bros. in 1923, the second, in the same year, New Century Caligraph. The collection was gradually extended with additional marks and models mainly through donations and later by purchases. Unique exhibits are the German typewriter Westphalia, the preserved machine Hammonia of the firm Guhl & Garbeck or the miniature typewriter Taurus Type which can be at the first sight mistaken with a pocket watch. Worth particular attention are also several machines of domestic provenance, for instance a prototype of the Czech typewriter Matous, then a weird wooden machine Aerotyp by J.Novak, and, in particular, an original typewriter manufactured in a single specimen by Jindrich Odkolek.

Textile technology

Major part of the textile collection is represented by exhibits from the textile pavilion at the Jubilee exhibition of the Trade and Business Chamber in Prague held in 1908. The collection was extended quite rapidly and its diversification into the following sections was gradually established: textile natural and synthetic raw materials, spinning instruments and machines, manual and mechanical looms, hand weaving, dyeing and printing of cloths, sewing machines, production of pins and needles. Most of exhibits of the textile collection date back to the period before the World War II. The collection contains objects from all basic fields of textile production within the time span from manual via manufacture to industrial textile production.

The collection is currently divided into textile materials and sewing technique. The textile part includes exhibits of spinning, weaving, knitting, processing, testing, fetching raw materials and special textile techniques. The part of sewing technique comprises sewing machines and related devices. The collection of textile production contains about 1200 exhibits, of which one quarter are objects of textile technique.

Household appliances

The collection contains about 2500 predominantly small objects. Its beginnings can be dated back into the period soon after founding the Museum in 1908. However, a principal step forward was made by taking over the collection of technical expedients and devices for household and various crafts from the former Czech Industrial Museum in 1944. The founder of this museum was Czech patriot Vojta Naprstek. In 1848, he fled to USA where he came across with and advanced technique of aids and equipment for households and various crafts. The collection is unique in providing an outline of technical outfit of households since the second half of 19th century.

It currently comprises kitchen machines and different facilities and tools, cooking devices and flat irons operated on spirit, kerosene, gas and electricity, heating devices and equipment for warm water preparation, kitchen mixers (American from the 20s of this century and a development series of domestic machines), electric vacuum cleaners, washing machines, freezers and refrigerators. Worth particular attention from among older objects is a set of machines for peeling and processing fruits. Another interesting field is represented by washing machines where the series of about forty exhibits provides a uniform outline of gradual improving of these products from wooden hand-driven devices, via American washing machines from the 20s to the types used in Central Europe till the income of automatic machines. The time horizon of most objects is limited by the 60s of this century.