The Neon Museum

Muzeum Neonów

The Neon Museum, known also as The Museum of Neons, is a museum in Warsaw's Praga South which documents and preserves Polish illuminated advertising signs made after World War II. It is Poland's first museum of neon signs, one of very few of this kind in the world. The museum is seated at 25 Mińska Street on the premises of Soho Factory.

History

The history of the museum started in 2005 when Ilona Karwińska saved the neon sign of the former shop "Berlin" at Marszałkowska Street in Warsaw. The museum was opened on 19 May 2012 during the Night of Museums event.

Collection

The museum's collection includes around 60 neon signs (some 600 letters) from across Poland, some of which were designed by renowned artists and graphic designers, many of whom were also the founders of the world-famous Polish Poster School. Most of the neon signs were made in the 1960 and 1970. The oldest neon sign in the museum's collection is probably the one from the Warsaw Stadium railway station. Among neon signs acquired by the museum are one from the "Szanghaj" and "Ambasador" restaurants, "Jaś i Małgosia" café and the Co-Operative Department Store "Sezam". Nine of the museum's largest neon signs, including, among others, GŁÓWNA KSIĘGARNIA TECHNICZNA, Jubiler, CHODZIEŻ [a railway station], KINO PRAHA and WARSZAWA WSCHODNIA, are displayed on buildings situated on the premises of the Soho Factory. The museum has also restored and looks after several neon signs across Warsaw, including the Mermaid at Grójecka Street. In 2013, the museum and the RWE company organised the "Neon for Warsaw" contest.

Additional activities

In addition to taking care of neon signs which can no longer hang in their original locations, the museum is active in researching and restoring old neon signs which are remnants of the "great neonisation" projects conducted in the past across the former Eastern Bloc. It initiated a campaign to protect old neon advertising signs in urban environments. Named "Action Renovation!", it has led to restoration of several interesting and known Warsaw neon signs, including the Mermaid at Grójecka Street and "Soaps and Paints" at Nowolipki Street (shown on the front page of the leaflet), and recreation of the iconic "Jaś i Małgosia" sign for a new café club at Jana Pawła II Avenue.

Availability

The Neon Museum is open five days a week to individual visitors and groups, and offers special events, film shows and guided tours. It can also be visited after regular opening hours subject to a prior booking and payment of an additional fee.

Source

  1. http://neonmuzeum.org/
  2. https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_Muzeum