Very successful year

The Lalique Museum has had a very successful year. Thanks to a subsidy from the Municipality of Doesburg, the museum has been able to start a professional approach to marketing and publicity. Due to the strong increase in the number of visitors, and thus the income, this could be further expanded and improved with the museum’s own resources. For example, the museum was featured in TV commercials and articles in the Kunstkrant. Of course, the dedication of the many volunteers, the special exhibitions of Chagall and Toorop, and the beautiful core collection, in combination with our wonderful Hanseatic city, also contribute greatly to the museum’s success. The result speaks for itself: the number of visitors to the museum, and thus to Doesburg, increased from 22,000 in 2017 to 40,000 in 2018!
In 2019, starting in July, an exhibition will be dedicated to jewelry from the Art Nouveau period. This will also feature a previously unknown jewel by René Lalique.
At the end of 2019, the exhibition ‘Royal Light’ will be launched. Special objects in this exhibition include the chandelier that René Lalique made for the then Princess Juliana, and a dinner service from the British royal family.
At De Commanderij, contractor Claus is continuing the restoration of the eastern annex and stair tower. In 2018, a spire was placed on the stair tower and the roof was replaced. This has once again protected the old Knight’s Building from the elements. In addition, the doors of the holographic room were installed in December 2018. These important parts of the restoration were made financially possible by the Order of Teutonic Knights and the Vroom-Van Ark family, respectively.
At the same time, with the help of various parties, hard work is being done to obtain the necessary funds to complete the restoration. We are confident that this approach will lead to success in the not too distant future. Due to the explosive growth of the museum, a move to De Commanderij is more necessary than ever. Thanks to the museum’s greatly improved financial position, it is now possible to make a financial contribution to the restoration itself, making it more attractive for parties to participate or subsidize.
The Lalique Museum is confident that growth will continue in 2019. Growth that will benefit not only the Museum, but also the city of Doesburg.