Priedaine collection
This collection includes 1,590 objects from the American Latvian Association’s cultural centre Priedaine antiquities repository. The repository was founded on May 1 1977 under the direction of artist and craftswoman Lilija Tomass; in 2006, it was moved to the New Jersey Latvian Association’s property Priedaine, where it operated successfully until 2014.
The bulk of the collection consists of textiles – blankets, towels, tablecloths, kerchiefs – and items of traditional clothing – skirts, shirts, woollen shawls, belts, garters, crowns, socks and gloves. The collection also includes a variety of applied arts items made of wood, clay and metal: brooches, rings, amber beads, bracelets, distaffs, figurines and small items, root and wicker basketry. Some of these objects were made in Latvia from the second half of the 19th century onwards and were taken into exile by people leaving Latvia at the end of World War II.
The collection also includes objects and works of applied art made in the USA, Sweden and other Latvian exiles’ countries of residence in the middle and second half of the 20th century (blankets, fabric samples, traditional jewellery, wickerwork, ceramics, woodwork, folk costumes for dance groups and choirs). These items testify to the preservation and development of folk art traditions in exile. The collection also contains books and periodicals published in Latvia and exile, photographs and materials on the work of the antiquities repository, its participation in the so-called 3 x 3 camps and other events organised in exile.
Curator of the collection Agnija Cigelniece
In order to research the museum’s collection in person, those interested are invited to fill out the contact form, indicating the topic of interest and the chronology. After receiving the form, a museum specialist will contact you.