Folded Beauty

Autumn Exhibition
8.9.2010 - 23.1.2011
Press Release June 2010

General Press information

Imperial Furniture Collection
Schloß Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H.
press information

The culture of smoking in the Biedermeier era

The next group of exhibits is a new display devoted to the cultural history of smoking. In a time when smoking bans are coming into force in an increasing number of countries, the culture of smoking is becoming a subject for museums.

In January 2005 Austria Tabak entrusted the Schloss Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H. with the managements of the collection of the former Tobacco Museum, which was housed in the Museumsquartier until its closure in 2003. Since this time, the holdings of around 7,000 objects and pictures connected to the history of tobacco and smoking have been securely stored in ideal conditions at Schönbrunn.

Now part of these holdings, the most comprehensive and valuable collection of its kind in Europe, are once more being made accessible to the general public at the Imperial Furniture Collection. The focus of this display is the culture of tobacco during the Biedermeier era. We show the private culture of smoking in the drawing room, where gentleman in smoking jackets or robes and smoking caps withdrew to indulge their habit, and smoking in public as part of Viennese coffee house culture, illustrated by 120 exemplary exhibits. Dr Sabine Fellner, who has curated the collection for many years, has made an expert selection of pipes made of painted porcelain and carved meerschaum, snuff boxes made of silver and lacquer as well as paintings and special smoking tables.