Album z widokami Kielc ze zbiorów Muzeum Historii Kielc

Marcin Kolasa (Museum of The History of Kielce) Album with Kielce sights from the collection of Kielce History Museum In 2008, the Kielce History Museum was given an Album with a Historical Description of Kielce, dated 1878. It was registered under the number of MHKi/H/253. The album has the form of a manuscript with 10 pasted photographs showing various sights of Kielce in the third quarter of the 19th century. The album comprises a short history of Kielce and descriptions of the most important buildings with the history of their origins, external appearance and the descriptions of interiors. The photographs show mainly places described in the text, but not only. The text of the album is divided into chapters entitled: Kielce, The Basilica of Our Lady, Holy Trinity Church or theological seminary’s church, Theological Seminary and Schools, St. Adalbert Church, Karczówka, Orthodox Church, Evangelical Church, and The Bishop’s Palace – currently Guberniya authorities’ seat. The text was prepared on the basis the chronicles of Jan Długosz, Maciej Miechowita and Marcin Kromer as well as Kielce Diary for the year 1874, ed. W. Siarkowski, Warszawa [1875]. It can be assumed that the album was handmade either for private or school use. Some imperfections in the text layout lead to the assumption that the author of the album might have got it as a semi-finished product with the ready layout of photographs and had to complete it himself. The album in its full form has not been published yet. Single photographs were published in some publications by the Kielce National Museum (K. Urbański Sentymentalne Kielce (Sentimental Kielce) or by J.L. Adamczyk (J.L.Adamczyk Rynek w Kielcach (Main Square in Kielce). Thanks to its form and content, the album constitutes an interesting contribution to the understanding of historical and social awareness of a Kielce inhabitant in the postinsurrection era.