Hi
Today we visited the Mizgaga Museum (= glass factory). The building was built by Baron Rothschild in 1891 to produce glass bottles for the Zikhron Yaakov Winery, so the wine can be exported to Europe.
The idea was not economical: the cost of the materials, the 8% customs of imported materials, recycled glass bottles were cheaper, the fact ovens had to be shut down on Saturdays and the fact the best way to transport the wine was in barrels. The place was also near a swamp with malaria mosquitoes which caused a plague among the workers. The Mizgaga was closed in 1895, only 4 years later.
The building is the only one left out of 3 similiar builing of the factory. It is a 2 story building, built from Kurkar stone (some are probably teused from Tel Dor site). The rooms are built as valuts to suuport the second floor. For 85 years the Mizgaga building stood abandoned, and it now hosts the Mizgaga museum.
The museum includes an exhibition on the story of the building, a glass artworks exhibition, an exhibition on the creation of Biblical Blue color in the ancient work, and mostly exhibitions from the nearby Tel Dor site: archeological items archeological divers’ work, and items from Napoleon Bonaparte‘s middle east campaign.
Because the museum is part of the Israeli Shabbat project, we did not have to pay. Only to book a place in advance. The project is one of the new government (which we protest against) items of change. It allows religious people to visit museums even on Sabbath, as they do not have to pay. But for some reason, the project is been treated as something that breaks the Status Quo in religious issues in Israel.
Take Care
Gad
The Mizgaga building
The coast and Tel Dor near the Mizgaga
The main corridor, with Atzva, Jannaeus, and Mindal
Looking up at the furnace in the middle of the corridor
Exhibition of an Artist
Archeological findings from Tel Dor
An ivory coin for the theater (the mirror shows the coin back with the row and seat number)
Balistra stones
The stones were marked by their size (just like today’s bolt caliber)
A mosaic made also from small glass
The use of the archeological items found
Archeological Divers exhibition
Napoleon Bonaparte’s cannons which were found in the sea
Glass artwork
Exhibition on the production of Biblical Blue
The building history exhibition