Metallurgy

Iron metallurgy

The iron metallurgy comprises pig iron making, its fining and production of metallurgical semi-products by rolling, drawing, extrusion, etc. The collection covers relative uniformly the whole development in the field since the oldest times and contains several interesting exhibits. Because of dimensions of real metallurgical production aggregates, their models are exhibited in most cases. The oldest period of production of smelted spongy iron is documented i.a. by an original hearth furnace from the 12th century taken from terrain and several models of various developmental stages of pre-historical furnaces. The era of feudal iron metallurgy is documented by replicas of charcoal-fired reducing furnaces and refining hearths and hammers as well as by models of whole iron works of which a particular attention should be paid to Novojachymovske zelezarny (New Jachymov Iron Works) built in the early 19th century and famous by their construction and technical solution. Industrial revolution as well as subsequent periods till the present times are also well documented, mainly by models of production equipment of metallurgical works and individual aggregates (blast furnaces, converters, Siemens-Martin furnaces, electric furnaces, rolling mills, etc.). Dominating exhibit is the original mechanical forging water hammer representing the historical iron-making technology of the preceding centuries.

Non-iron metallurgy

The non-iron metallurgy is one of the oldest production knowledge mastered by man; it is far older than the iron metallurgy. The documentation of production, processing and testing (probing) of gold and silver is concentrated in the fund of geology and mineralogy. The collection of non-iron metallurgy is not too large but important. It provides a partial documentation of production and processing of lead, antimony, aluminium, zinc, tin, copper, nickel and some of their alloys. The collection is based on non- ferrous metals as collections of raw materials and semi- products after forming and products in the form of rods, sheets and profiles. Interesting from the technical point of view is the model of Pattison furnace for separating lead from other metals. Main parts of the collection are castings from aluminium alloys for aeronautical and car industries. Of a particular historical value is the pharmacy bronze mortar from 1689. Interesting from the developmental point of view are the original and a perfect metal model of the pressure casting machine for casting objects from non- ferrous metals. They were made according to the patents of Ing. Polak who made, through his inventions and his own production activities and export of casting machines in the 20s and 30s, a great contribution towards world-wide spreading of this today common technology.

Engineering metallurgy

The collection of Engineering metallurgy comprises processing of iron in engineering works by casting and forming. The foundry collection includes mainly exhibits documenting technological development of the field. It contains steel and iron castings, foundry tools, models, forms and their parts, foundry furnaces and foundry equipment. They document the technology of casting into sand forms, lost wax process, shell casting and other production techniqes over the time period from the 18th century till present times. Historical foundry process is documented by a large model of foundry acquired into the Museum collections in 1914. Artistic casting has been included under the input item Decorative cast ironwork. The collection of forming field contains mainly drop forgings from the 1st and 2nd halves of 20th century. In many cases the whole technological process is depicted starting from incoming semi-product via respective intermediate stages to finished product. These include, for instance, tools and components of car and aviation industries. Engineering equipment is documented by precise models of forging machine hammers and presses manufactured and used for education at the Prague Technical University in the 19th century as well as by perfect models of the most up-to-date forging machines of the firm ZDAS from the 70s and 80s of 20th century. The tools and products of manual smithery are included under the input item Smith and locksmith crafts.

Decorative cast ironwork

The collection of decorative cast ironwork has been compiled in the NTM since its founding in 1908. The collection comprises over 700 inventory numbers and is based on the collections of products from the Iron Works in Komarov and Blansko donated to the Museum in the late 20s of this century. Gradually, castings from other Czech and Moravian foundries were obtained (Novy Jachymov, Klabava, Marianske udoli u Olomouce, and others). The collection documents the level of decorative iron casting during the period of 100 years from the early 19th century to the 1930s, development of technology and changes in contemporary taste of bourgeois society. It is divided into groups of objects of the same character and way of application. These are: fire-place slabs and stoves, embossments, plaques, lockets, medals, ornamental sculptures, decorative and daily-use objects (lamps, candelabras, frames, inkstands, barrels, boxes, vases, plates, trays), highly appreciated jewels comparable with products of famous Prussian foundries, construction and funeral cast iron, kitchen aids (baking forms, flat irons, mortars), objects related to production technology (forms, models). The oldest exhibit, which is also an example of beginnings of artistic forming of cast-iron products, is the stove plate with a picture of the parable on a rich man and poor Lazarus from the second half of 16th century according to Hessian modeller Phillip Soldan. Items of the highest artistic value and technologically most sophisticated are the products from the mid-19th century coming from the iron works of counts Vrbna from Horovice (today the iron works in Komarov) which provide the best possibility of tracing the penetration of domestic and foreign (especially Prussian) originals as well as the beginnings of modern industrial design.

Smith and locksmith crafts

The collection of smith and locksmith crafts compiles tools and expedients used in traditional manual iron processing and also products created by this technology during centuries.

The smithery collection contains large groups of universal as well as specialized instruments used in all working activities. Smith's tools and expedients had been the same for centuries and, consequently, the collection well documents historical development. Some of its dated items come from the 17th century. The collection also includes a group of artistically worked-out grilles.

The locksmith collection contains the products (about 700 pieces) represented by furniture and door trims, particularly locks and keys covering the time span from Gothic artifacts from the 15th century till now. Apart from usual products, the collection also contains masterpieces reflecting the unity of manual skill, creative design thinking and stylistic influences.