In a multifaceted special exhibition, the German Leather Museum delves into the cultural history of the bag as a globally used commodity, fashion item and luxury good. Over 200 exhibits from three millennia, ranging from ancient Egyptian leather bags, medieval belt bags and the first travel bags from the 19th century to practical rucksacks, elegant handbags and a shopping bag made of biodegradable plastic, tell the story ofone of mankind's oldest and most versatile accessories.
To mark the 100th anniversary of the museum, the collection presentation LEDER.WELT.GESCHICHTE shows a cross-section of the unique holdings of the German Leather Museum and presents highlights from the extraordinary collection.
View of the exhibition, chapter always included: AUF REISEN © Deutsches Ledermuseum, Laura Brichta
Special exhibition always with you: THE BAG
It is a means of transportation, a useful companion or, as a status symbol, an object of desire. They are available in countless designs and for the most diverse occasions - whether for shopping, work, sport, traveling or as an evening companion. No other item is always to hand as soon as we leave the house and carries everything we need on the go: THE BAG.
With a focus on the history of European bags, the show traces the development and diversity of bags and their design in chronological order with excursions on designer bags as a status symbol, the materiality of bags and leather goods from Offenbach am Main. Objects from various cultures in Africa, Asia, the Americas and the polar regions complement the presentation.
As part of the exhibition, the German Leather Museum is cooperating with the Faculty of Design at Pforzheim University, which offers the only Bachelor's degree course in 'Accessory Design' in Germany. Students in Prof. Madeleine Häse's class created bags in the 2024 summer semester that move between applied art and functional design and create connections to contemporary social contexts.
October 12, 2024 to August 10, 2025
View of the exhibition, chapter always included: AND MORE THAN LEATHER © Deutsches Ledermuseum, Laura Brichta
LEATHER.WORLD.HISTORY.
Collection presentation for the 100th anniversary
Four overarching thematic groups - The Leather City of Offenbach am Main, Living with Leather, Leather Makes History and Leather Opens Worlds - offer a variety of insights into the world of leather and its functions and design. Using 130 exemplary exhibits, the collection presentation illustrates the outstanding objects that have found their way into the German Leather Museum since its foundation in 1917.
Exhibits from different eras and cultures enter into an overarching dialog and open up exciting cross-references. The selection was made with regard to historical and artistic significance, but also from the point of view of being able to tell stories with them. For example, the oldest object in the collection, an Egyptian rawhide vessel, meets one from the 21st century, a pair of elegant leather-covered headphones. Other combinations, such as the travel basket of Pope Clement IX (1600-1669), which is presented together with a travel bag made of Tyvek®, a paper-like non-woven fabric, by Saskia and Stefan Diez, illustrate how travel accessories have changed over the centuries. The exhibition also brings together exhibits from prominent personalities: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's (1749-1832) top hat box, with which he traveled in the last years of his life, meets the slippers of Ulrike von Levetzow (1804-1899), Goethe's last unfulfilled love.
www.ledermuseum.de
Travel bag, Bon Voyage, Europe, 2nd half of the 19th century, glass bead and tapestry embroidery on canvas, leather, metal © Deutsches Ledermuseum, M. UrlTravel bag, Bon Voyage, Europe, 2nd half of the 19th century, glass bead and tapestry embroidery on canvas, leather, metal © Deutsches Ledermuseum, M. Url
