This permanent exhibition explores the development of domestic technologies that facilitate hygiene, cleaning, washing, ironing, sewing, and food preparation in the Czech lands from the mid-19th century to the present. It traces the evolution of 'domestic helpers' through historical objects and design visions.
The Household Appliances exhibition at the National Technical Museum is the first of its kind in Central Europe, covering nearly 600 square meters. It traces the history of technologies that simplify domestic life, including hygiene, cleaning, washing, ironing, sewing, and food preparation, within the context of the Czech lands from the mid-19th century to the present. Arranged in reverse chronological order, the exhibition showcases contemporary designs and student visions, appliances from the communist era, pioneering post-war industrial designs, early manufacturers from the First Republic, the impact of electrification, and even early coffee machines. It also features historical curiosities collected by Vojta Náprstek.
A timeline runs through the entire exhibition, providing historical data and mapping global developments from the mid-19th to the late 20th century. The collection largely comprises objects from the NTM's own holdings of Household Appliances and Industrial Design, with significant contributions of contemporary items donated by leading Czech manufacturers Tescoma and ETA.