Collections
The museum houses collections of art and art pieces as well as inherited and acquired antiquities. Some of the pieces on display have been purchased at the beginning of the 20th century, such us electrical lights, sofas and a variety of utility articles that now form a part of the museum’s current collections.
The art collection
The museum’s art collection includes oil paintings, graphics, watercolours, pastels and sculptures. Most of the works are landscape paintings. Approximately ten of the oil paintings are portraits of the family. The visitor will see works by artists such as Albert Edelfelt and Helene Schjerfbeck. The collection also includes works by Victor Westerholm, Gunnar Berndtson, Hjalmar Munsterhjelm and Akseli Gallen-Kallela. Many of the most renowned sculptors of their time are represented in the museum, for instance Wäinö Aaltonen and Felix Nylund, who has also sculpted the marble bust of Alfred Jacobsson.
Furniture and other artefacts
The home was decorated with furniture representing different styles and epochs. As an example serves the Biedermeier style sofa group in the Kingelin room carved by the carpenter J. G. Hammarström. The baroque cupboards and chairs in the dining room originate in the 17th century. The lighter seating groups in the drawing room represent the Swedish Gustavian style from late 18th century. The corner sofa in Hélène’s parlour was a modern piece for its time and was manufactured in Nicolai Bomann’s sawmill.
Textiles
The museum holds a large textile collection, which contains traditional rya rugs hung on the walls, embroidered cushions, silk and lace pieces as well as various furnishing fabrics. Some of the unique works include beaded tablecloths and silk pictures embroidered with hair.
Photographs and postcards
The collection of photographs contains studio shots of the family, relatives, friends and Alfred’s business acquaintances. Additionally, there are amateur pictures of the family’s home, the town, their summerhouses on the island of Ruissalo and in Nokkala as well as photographs taken during their trips in Europe. The museum collection also includes a collection of postcards that the family has received from relatives and friends.
Menus and place cards
The museum has an extensive collection of menus dated between 1885 and 1919. The menus come from both the family’s own celebrations and from dinners elsewhere. Some of the menus are business dinners and lunches, others various special occasions, such as weddings and other festive occasions. Some menus have attached programs with speeches and music performances listed separately.The menus give us an insight into what the family consumed and when and where they held dinners. Occasionally, the menus provide us with additional information on the occasion or the guests.
The plants on the museum’s porch
The museum’s porch houses a collection of early 20th century houseplants. Late 19th century decoration ideal dictated that homes were supposed to be decorated with different exotic plants. Often homes were decorated with plants that had originally grown exclusively in mansion greenhouses. Large ornamental porcelain vases and flower pillars were acquired for the plants, of which some are still on display in the rooms and showcases of the museum.
Archive pictures show the types of plants the Jacobsson family had in their home, for example a lush ivy, an exotic agave and grand palm trees.
