The Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre is a non profit NGO, therefore we are grateful for donations that we receive. We are very aware that each item we receive comes with its own unique story and history, which needs to be preserved for future generations.
Since late 2014 the Latvians Abroad Museum collection has been deposited at the Latvian National Library at Mūkusalas iela 3, Riga. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, the Museum’s collection continues to grow.
In addition to objects and their accompanying stories, we encourage you to give interviews and offer life stories, which will complement the information in the Museum about Latvian experiences in the world during various time periods. This information is invaluable for creating the Museum’s various projects and exhibitions.
One of the Museum’s main short term goals is to establish a multi-faceted and valuable collection of items and their stories, which will provide testimony for the following topics:
- emigration from Latvia,
- settling down and life in a new country,
- cultural events in the countries of residence,
- Latvian community life, ties to Latvia,
- political, religious, and educational activities.
We want to thank all of you who have provided material support to establish and supplement the Museum’s collection. Thank you!
What does the Museum accept?
We are actively searching for objects, photographs, documents and stories from Latvians outside Latvia that apply to the following categories:
- First years after arriving in the new country of residence (possible topics: working in the mines, forestry and agricultural work, medical staff, janitors, cleaners etc. Examples of objects: work clothing, tools, photographs etc.);
- Photographs from the refugee period (families and persons en route – in Latvia and elsewhere. During World War I and II);
- Latvian food outside Latvia (for example, handwritten recipes, cookbooks, kitchen utensils/dishes which were used to make Latvian food – for cooking, baking, pickling, smoking etc.);
- Latvian sports in the diaspora (clothing, equipment, trophies and medals; we are especially interested in items relating to NOVUSS, for example a novuss table made outside Latvia);
- Correspondence between Latvians in Soviet Latvia and relatives abroad (from all time periods, but especially letters of “first contact” after the end of World War II or during the refugee period);
First visit to Latvia (memories, photographs and items relating to the first time that Latvia was visited).
How do I donate items to the Collection?
If you wish to donate items or stories to the Latvians Abroad Museum collection, please prepare the following information about each object:
- who owned the item;
- approximate dates for the item;
- dimensions of the item;
- how was the item used
- what is the significance of the item;
- photo of the item, if possible.
Please submit this information to the Latvians Abroad representative in your area (see section: Museum representatives abroad) or send an email to info@lapamuzejs.lv. Letters may also be sent to the Museum’s mailing address – Latvians Abroad, Mazā Nometņu iela 65A-1, Rīga, LV-1002, Latvia.
The Latvians Abroad Museum collection commission will evaluate your offer and will reply within one month to inform you if the item will be added to the collection. After this decision, a representative from Latvians Abroad will contact you to discuss the process for retrieving and shipping the item and to sign a donation agreement (currently only in Latvian). Items for our collection will be shipped to Latvia by appropriate means of transportation. In special cases (if the item is very large or shipping is complicated), we will search for funding to cover the costs of transportation.
NB! If you wish to donate books or other printed or written publications, please contact a Museum representative first!
What happens to the items, when they reach Latvia?
Objects, which are donated to the Latvians Abroad Museum and are added to the collection, are first documented, paying special attention to their condition of preservation, history, use and so on.
A Donation Agreement is signed by the Museum and the donor, which transfers legal ownership to the Museum. The item is then packaged in special, protective materials and stored in the secure collection store room on archive quality shelves.
All objects are gradually photographed and scanned, so that they may also be viewed digitally. The objects in the collection are accessible to individual Latvians Abroad visitors and, if needed, will be used in various exhibitions and presentations organised by the Latvians Abroad Museum or other museums and memory institutions, in order to promote a better public understanding of Latvian emigration history, stories about Latvia and their life in the world.
Updating the Museum’s digital databases is a continuing project. The databases contain information on objects in our collection, their physical characteristics, history, and significance, as well as approximately 1000 digitised photographs.