Old-fashioned shop and factory windows with advertisements on them. Artistically hand-painted, etched, or engraved. Many of those typical village shops, garages, and factories have disappeared from the streets. But have those old windows also been lost? Glasrijk Tubbergen wants to find out.
Myriam Knol is the new curator of the art event Glasrijk Tubbergen. This is an annual, short-term event in October featuring an exhibition of special glass artwork. Together with the new chairman, Albertjan Peters, Knol is aiming for an ambitious debut this year. They want to exhibit as much old-fashioned decorative glass as possible from window frames, doors, display cases, and windows, under the name: The Power of Glass.
Is it thrown away?
Whether it will succeed, Knol has no idea. „Was it also thrown away during the demolition of those old shop buildings? We are actually looking for lost treasures. Preferably with a story attached, of course.”
That's why they are also calling for public assistance. Knol: „We have no idea what has been preserved. Whether we'll recover complete panes is also still a question. But even parts of them would be great. Hopefully, people have kept pieces as mementos of, for example, the family shop from back in the day.”
Proud shop windows
Knol only needs to look at her own family. Her grandparents once had a bicycle shop in Lonneker. Above the two windows, painted by hand in fancy letters, it read: Rijwielhandel Boomkamp. She beams when she thinks of it. But unfortunately, only photos remain of that.
The same applies to Peters. His grandfather used to own a bakery. The family name was beautifully etched into the door. „And then such a beautiful bakery display: cakes, pastries, chocolate, bonbons. Their pride.” But only photographs remain of that, too.
TET bus route
Peters: „That can also be a starting point: photos... So that we can create an extensive register of what has been, not only in Tubbergen, but in all of Twente. But preferably the glassware, of course. When we discussed this idea with our volunteers, someone immediately got very enthusiastic. Her family once owned an electronics store. The advertising sign from that was always kept, with ‘Philips’ on it.".
Knol expressed his hope. „I've also already contacted someone myself who remembers seeing an old window from a former TET bus somewhere: with TET in the glass. It would be great if we could find it. Maybe more has been preserved than we think. Perhaps on farms.”
Snapshot in time
Knol and Peters are hoping for a lot of response. „It would be really cool if we could show something of that bygone era. It will be recognizable for many people. A feeling of: Oh yeah, remember... But it's also important – if we don't find any panes – to document what was there through photos. Decorative glass is in fact industrial heritage.”
Because glass has always played a major role in architecture. In commercial and retail buildings, but also in houses. In homes, it was particularly influential in setting the atmosphere, which is why stained glass or colored glass was often used in the upper parts of windows. This was due to the lack of roller blinds, which had not yet been invented.
Tips can go to info@glasrijk.nl
Source: Tubantia
