Students from Juniata College in Nelahozeves 

For the second time, the Lobkowicz Collections hosted a two-week experiential learning program for undergraduates from Juniata College. Twelve students accompanied by three professors arrived from Huntingdon, a small town in Pennsylvania that is home to one of the best liberal arts colleges in the U. S. The Collections hosted the group in our Scholars’ Residence and newly built Skála apartments overlooking the Vltava River, located close to Nelahozeves Castle. 

The two-week program was filled with our ever-popular hands-on curatorial activities, where students learned how to handle and treat a range of objects, including fragile 17th-century Delft faience, glass negatives and other photographic materials, archival music scores and parts, and old leather hunting bags. The curators also taught them how to prepare paintings for a loan: covering move protocols, transport, and how to monitor and create proper climate conditions for works of art. 

In addition, the curators delivered lectures on the history of the Lobkowicz Collections with a particular focus on art and music history.  These took place in the form of guided tours and classroom sessions across our many historical premises.  

Field trips were one of the most popular parts of the program. This year, students visited the ateliers of paper and piano restorers, and enjoyed a guided tour of Roudnice Castle and winery with a lecture on the history of winemaking in Bohemia and its significance to the Lobkowicz family. 

Finally, they had the chance to present the outcomes of their research for the Undergraduate Curator Program that started in the spring semester. During this time, Juniata College students researched uncatalogued objects from the Lobkowicz Collections, including a Maria Theresa thaler, a 17th-century German sword, a rare 17th-century beer stein, and more.