The Communications Manager of the Lebell merchant House, Harri Alatalo, interviewed the chairman of the Lebell Foundation, Helena Patoranta, on October 24, 2024, about the museum’s history, present, and future.
History
The Lebell Merchant House is a house with both history and a place where one can learn a lot. Before the house became a museum, it was in very poor condition. No one had maintained or renovated it, and by the early 20th century, the house had already “seen its best days.”
In the 1930s, Tyra Borg (1872-1948) became interested in the house. She was a cultural historian and the daughter of industrialist Antti Ahlström.
Through her mother, Eva Helena (born Holmström in Kristinestad), she was also a direct descendant of the first Lebell son. Tyra became particularly known for her research on gold and silversmiths in Finland. The book “Guld- och Silversmeder i Finland” is still available in antiquarian bookstores.
Tyra was also something of a rebel, and therefore she was “exiled” to Kristinestad as a young woman. But her parents did not understand that Tyra actually wanted to stay in Kristinestad with her aunts.
Borg bought the house in 1936 and handed it over to the association Svenska Odlingens Vänner in Kristinestad. She had the house renovated with the help of grants from A. Ahlström Oy and with her own funds, and she personally financed and completed the house’s interior with the utmost attention to authenticity and origin.
She also hired local craftsmen for the renovation. She employed, among others, the the railway bookkeeper Rafael Sjöblad, who had studied decorative painting at Ateneum, to restore the wallpapers based on original fragments, and Rafael spent all his free time at Lebell reconstructing these, such as the one below.
Tyra Borg donated the house and a fund for its maintenance “to be managed as a monument to the lives of merchants in past times” to a foundation that now manages the museum. The board of this foundation includes a representative from A. Ahlström Oy, a representative from Svenska Odlingens Vänner, and a professor of Nordic folk culture from Åbo Akademi or a representative appointed by that person from Åbo Akademi.
There are also preserved letters from those times, where Tyra details, for example, how the museum should be renovated and what colors should be used.
Present
Since the museum and foundation were established, the foundation has always had a very good and functioning administration. For the first time in the foundation’s history, a woman is now the chairman. Helena Patoranta was elected chairman in 2023. Helena has always had a great interest in the city’s history and historical objects. Helena Patoranta was also elected chairman because she has visions and “drive” to get things moving and functioning, a holistic view, and more ideas than can be implemented.
“Personally, I think The Lebell Merchant House is completely unique among museums in Finland. In many other places, objects are collected from different locations and displayed behind glass cases in special museum buildings. At Lebellska, visitors can step into an authentic and original environment and experience the lifestyle of the time with all their senses.
The museum’s central location in the city is also an advantage as it makes it easy to visit. Especially notable are the salt warehouse on the property, the herb garden, two storage buildings, and the small cottage, which is now used as an archive and workspace since we do not lend out books. There is also a fine collection of wallpapers, some of which will soon be included in a book about old wallpapers from Kristinestad.”
The events organized by Lebell have also been well thought out and well executed. Previously, toys and clothes have been exhibited, and 18th-century parties have been organized. When the neighboring Félén house was purchased, we could expand our range of events. At this stage, we are focusing a lot on sparking interest among children and young people.
The work for the foundation is entirely on a voluntary basis. But the foundation pays wages to the young people who work here during the summer.
The museum has thus been kept in good condition since Tyra’s time thanks to a functioning board and special protection. Although we would like to increase the museum’s visibility, we do not want too many visitors as a large number would wear down the floors and objects. For example, in winter, we do not have large events because the original floorboards cannot withstand water, salt, and spikes.
The foundation’s board always consists of the chairman, a representative of Ahlström’s descendants, a professor of ethnology from Åbo Akademi or a person appointed by him, and a representative from Svenska Odlingens Vänner in Kristinestad r.f. I always bring an accountant with me to the meetings. Right now, we also have a special situation with Karl Bertil Borg, a direct descendant of Tyra, on the board.
Svenska Odlingens Vänner is one of the city’s oldest associations and serves as a support association for Lebellska. SOV also organized large music festivals even before the railway came to Kristinestad. SOV also engaged in charity, including collecting and donating books and other materials to schools in Kristinestad and surrounding areas, such as Kaskö, Mörtmark (Myrkky), and all the way to Seinäjoki. SOV maintained so-called traveling libraries, book cabinets that were moved from school to school and from village to village. Later, they stayed and became permanent parts of the schools and villages.
Future
In the near future, we will primarily participate in Kristinestad’s “Magical Christmas” event series. During Sjöstadens Julhem on December 7th from 12-6 PM, old and vintage advent calendars will be displayed in the Félén house, and a sandwich buffet will be served in the café area. SOV is also involved in organizing the Lucia celebration in the municipality. This includes the traditional Lucia morning with a visit from the South Ostrobothnia Lucia at 8:00 AM in the Félén house, where we offer a cozy morning and coffee with Lucia buns. The advent calendar window will open on December 15, 2024, in the Félén house as part of Kristinestad’s living advent calendar.
The future of Lebellska Köpmansgården looks bright. We have a major project coming up, which is the plastering of the Félén house. We have started the application process and hope for grants.
We regularly publish content on social media, which has been noticed by our visitors. Visibility like this is important, and starting in 2024, we will be featured on the new Ahlström website / Ahlström in Society (ahlstrominsociety.com).
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