Royal pipe factory forever

22 November 2020

The factory of the well-known Big Ben pipes was already awarded the Royal designation in 1972. But the once successful Dutch company went bankrupt in 2011. Declining sales due to the aging of the target group, the general anti-smoking mood, expensive man power, it all played a part. In the meantime, Elbert, the founder's grandson, has continued and has sought new income, for example in the production of pipe cleaners. These do not last as long as a pipe, generating a more regular sale. His Majesty – or someone on his behalf – has approved that Elbert's factory may continue to use the honorable title: The Pipe Manufacturer Gubbels established 1870. Hence the page with historical data can be found in the recent publication Met Koninklijke Allure (With royal alloy) listing all ‘purveyor to the royal household’.

Stummels put in timeline

15 November 2020

In a recent article Don Duco recounts the complete history of the stummel, the famous German porcelain pipe bowl that was produced for over two centuries. It concerns the pipe bowl with an oval bowl and a short stem made of shiny white porcelain. These pipes are loved for their painting, which in its heyday was of incredible quality and refinement. The history of this article is told through more than 150 examples from our rich collection. This piece of research will answer many owners of such a pipe bowl to questions about usage, fashion and age, but it will also point out interesting technical features.

Zoom session European Commission

10 November 2020

Europa Nostra has organized a complex conference call, in which twenty laureates of the European Hertage Award plus another dozen officials will meet with the European Commissioner for Culture and Education Mariya Gabriel. She expresses her appreciation for all the public attention to heritage that the prize winners from so many countries have created with their activities. For Don Duco the official moment receiving the award, however from behind his own laptop. Still a memorable moment, concluded with a virtual reception where you can raise your own glass with your favorite drink. During the drink nice reactions from audience, also from the Netherlands! And finally: many thanks to the jury for this great European prize.

No Museum Night

7 November 2020

Normally, the immensely popular Museum Night or MuseumN8 takes place on the first Saturday of November. It had long been clear that that event had to give way to ongoing Cornona restrictions. A pity, because our museum always looks fairytale-like with pink facade lighting and atmospheric artificial light inside during the night. As in an old Dutch song: Once a year, the whole gang comes together, now they can only dream of the year to come!