The National Technical Museum will open on February 16

Prague - Also a historic photographic studio can be found by visitors at the National Technical Museum in Prague in Letná (NTM). After a four-year reconstruction, it will open to the public on February 16 in the morning and will draw attention to the anniversary of the birth of the significant builder and patron Josef Hlávka.
    Visitors can expect five unique exhibitions representing the progress of science and technology over the past centuries. The new museum management is thus fulfilling its promise to open the museum as soon as possible - this will happen less than two and a half months after director Karel Ksandr took office. The transportation hall, the Architecture, Construction and Design exhibition, the Astronomy exhibition, Printing, and the mentioned studio will be accessible, which will present the development of photography, its influence on society, and explain basic photographic processes.
    "Visitors will find an overview of historical photographic processes from the invention of daguerreotype in 1839 to digital photography. Unlike the older exhibition, which was dedicated to capturing technology and individual devices, now each process will teach about its principle, technology, and results, including the photographs themselves,” said Petr Kliment, head of the photography and film technology history department, to ČTK.
    Part of the exhibition, which is currently being completed, is a model of a historic photographic studio from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries exposed to daylight. "At that time, the studios of photographers were designed until they switched to electric lighting from the construction of painter’s studios. We utilized that part of the museum building has a glass roof. The imitation of the photo studio is created under the ceiling by textile light diffusers and black screens that the photographer used to create scene lighting in front of the lens. Another dominant feature will be painted photographic backgrounds. They are black and white because color photography did not yet exist," added Kliment.
    The interactive part of the photo studio will feature four board photographic devices controlled by electric motors through touch screens. Each will explain one of the functions, primarily why these devices were so large and why they had so many controls.
    The exhibition will also be a place for composed programs. "It will entertain the whole family even without commentary and will also allow guided tours at various levels. Interested visitors can try out the photographic devices, take photographs in front of a historical background, and participate in workshops,” he added.
    From the moment when the last visitors passed through the technical museum before the reconstruction on September 10, 2006, precisely 1621 days will pass until the reopening date. Other exhibitions will be opened gradually.
    "February 15 will become a historic date for the history of the National Technical Museum, as on the day of the 180th anniversary of the birth of the patron, builder, and architect Josef Hlávka, the ceremonial opening of the first building of the technical museum in Letná will take place. After seventy years, it will finally be not only completed but also reopened exclusively for museum operations,” said NTM spokesperson Olga Šámalová to ČTK. In more than five and a half thousand square meters, there will be about five thousand exhibits. Among the most valuable are a horse-drawn fire engine from 1795, the first car produced in our territory in 1898, the NW Präsident car, or the NW 12 HP Rennzweier, which is the first racing car produced in our country.
    On the first day, NTM will be open from 10:00 until 20:00 exceptionally. On other days, it will be open from 10:00 to 18:00, except on Mondays, and every first Thursday of the month, interested parties will be able to come until 20:00. The ticket price for adults will be 170 CZK. Other information can be found by interested parties at the internet address www.ntm.cz.