African museum of Dr. Emil Holub - Holice, Czech Republic
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Emil Holub (7 October 1847 – 21 February 1902) was a Czech physician, explorer, cartographer, and ethnographer in Africa. In a 2005 poll, he was voted #90 of the 100 greatest Czechs.
Waymark Code: WMYVPC
Location: Pardubický kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 07/29/2018
Views: 13
Holub was born in Holice in eastern Bohemia (then within the Austrian Empire, now the Czech Republic) in the family of municipal doctor.
Inspired to visit Africa by the diaries of David Livingstone, Holub travelled to Cape Town, South Africa shortly after graduation and eventually settled in Dutoitspan near Kimberley to practise medicine. After eight months, Holub set out in a convoy of local hunters on a two-month experimental expedition, or "scientific safari", where he began to assemble a large natural history collection.
In 1873 Holub set out on his second scientific safari, devoting his attention to the collection of ethnographic material. On his third expedition in 1875, he ventured all the way to the Zambezi river and made the first detailed map of the region surrounding Victoria Falls. Holub also wrote and published the first book account of the Victoria Falls published in English in Grahamstown in 1879.
After returning to Prague for several years, Holub made plans for a bold African expedition. In 1883, Holub, along with his new wife Rosa (1865 - 1958) and six European guides, set out to do what no one had done before: explore the entire length of Africa from Cape Town all the way to Egypt. However, the expedition was troubled by illness and the uncooperative Ila tribesmen and Holub's team was forced to turn back in 1886.
Holub mounted two exhibitions, highly attended but ending up in financial loss, in 1891 in Vienna and in 1892 in Prague. Frustrated that he was unable to find a permanent home for his large collection of artefacts, he gradually sold or gave away parts of it to museums, scientific institutions and schools.
Later Holub published a series of documents, contributing to papers and magazines, and delivering lectures. His early death came in Vienna on 21 February 1902, from lingering complications of malaria and other diseases he had acquired while in Africa.
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Project and complex installation of permanent exhibition of African museum of Dr. Emil Holub in Holice. The exposition recounts travellers´ and doctor´s wandering from native Holice via Prague, Vienna, his African journeys, describes his legacy and personalities of his significant successors. Life story goes along with samples of Dr. Emil Holub´s collections, handed down by his wife Ružena. A film about E. Holub´s life creates part of the presentation, interactive scenography represents African village, Savanah with flying birds, Victoria Falls hidden behind spindrift accompanied by the sound of spraying water. AV programmes offer plenty of information and games to kids just as adult visitors including outer exposition styled as African village.
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Expozice se clení na nekolik cástí, z nichž tri jsou urcené pro návštevníky. První cást se venuje životu a dílu cestovatele a jeho osobním vecem. Druhá cást predstavuje africkou prírodu, ve které najdete vycpané velké i malé savce, ptáky, morské živocichy, rostliny, ruzné trofeje, nástroje, nerosty a další. Ve tretí cásti se seznámíte se životem v domorodé vesnici. Kudy Emil Holub cestoval najdete na nástenných mapách.