Museum with a difference There are not many museums that allow visitors to take pictures or touch the objects that are on display. But Ban Phiphithaphan or the House of Museums bucks that norm. ''We want our visitors to feel what life used to be 50 or more years ago. Those who visit us can not only see but also touch and play with objects that are on show,'' said Wanna Nawigamune who helps oversee the museum. The museum on Phutthamonthon Sai 2 Road opened in 2001. It was put together by Anake Nawigamune, her husband who has authored several books on art, culture and history, and run by a private group of like-minded art connoisseurs that calls itself Cultural Affairs Association. They wanted to collect and preserve objects people used in their everyday life 50-100 years ago for future generations. It took them more than 10 years to realise their dream. According to Wanna, who is also deputy head of the Department of Literature at Kasetsart University, they used the time collecting antique items. They started by holding small exhibitions to find out if there were other people who shared their interest. The response was overwhelming. Their very first exhibition featuring toys generated tremendous response from collectors and visitor turnout was equally encouraging. They followed it up with exhibitions showcasing old books and traditional musical instruments which confirmed that their idea was right. ''We held several exhibitions because we thought that our idea would encourage some public agency to set up a museum to preserve the items we had collected,'' she said. Although their effort failed to receive support from the government, it wasn't in vain because they were able to amass a huge stockpile of antique items. The next step was finding a warehouse to store the collection. The association began looking for a place. One landlord, when he learnt about the project was so overwhelmed by their cause that he donated his land to the association. It is a 58 square ifwah plot on which the group built a three-storey structure that became Ban Phiphithaphan. The first floor displays an old drugstore that operated in Uthai Thani, a section of a barber shop, a traditional coffee shop, a book rental, a toy shop as well as other old items, some of which pre-date World War II. The second and third floors also show objects that help refresh your memory of the good old days and also offer a glimpse of how life used to be in the days of our father. Their effort has been so successful that Anake is now looking beyond the museum. ''Khun Anake wants to expand the museum and turn it into a place where people can come and bike, watch movies in a traditional theatre or shop in an old market like the 130-year old Wiset Chai Chan in Angthong Province,'' said Wanna. That dream will surely take some time materialise. In the meantime you can help the association by donating old items you no longer need or are of use to you, such as books, toys, match boxes, postcards, old lottery tickets or home appliances, etc, etc. ''Instead of throwing them away, you can give them to us as 70 percent of the items on display have come from donation,'' she said. The museums opens only on weekends during 10am-5pm. The entrance fee is 30 baht for adults and 10 baht for children. |