The Open Air Museum of Lithuania has accumulated over 95,000 museum treasures, which it seeks to present to the public. A unique collection is kept here – a rich collection of one of the most prominent photographers of small Lithuanian towns, a versatile craftsman Juozas Daubaras (1895–1982). A new exhibition is being opened in the Žeimelis House of the town on its basis.

There were many enterprising people in interwar Lithuania, and J. Daubaras was an example of entrepreneurship in a small town, engaged in at least six different activities: he repaired watches, took photographs, cut hair, helped write letters, rented bicycles, and provided musician services.

An interactive space has been created in the attic of the Žeimelis House – using copies of museum treasures, props, and innovative technologies, visitors are introduced to the unique lifestyle of the interwar town. There is a photo studio here, an exhibition of a barbershop and a watch repair shop has been installed, and letter writing education has been prepared. This allows visitors to get to know various aspects of the interwar universal craftsman’s activities.

The exhibition presents copies of furniture used by J. Daubaras and other interwar craftsmen for their businesses, museum treasures (tools and work tools, read books, a stereoscope brought from the USA, etc.). There is also an interactive camera that allows you to take an old photo. You can examine a stereoscope – an old device for demonstrating spatial images. A special museum treasure in the exhibition is the camera used by the famous interwar Vilnius photographer Janas Bulhakas (1876–1950).

The creation of this space complements the museum’s town complex and enlivens it. Taking pictures with clothes from the interwar period is a popular activity during celebrations, but the museum lacked a permanent space adapted for this. With the installation of an authentic interwar photo studio, visitors will be able to take pictures dressed in accessories and copies of clothes from that period.

Visitors are invited to leave old photographs of their loved ones in the new exhibition. This way they will be preserved and studied. The accumulation of photographs and stories is relevant for the museum, because visitors often share unique memories. Often, old photographs are destroyed, thus losing potential museum values.

The exhibition is open since August 22, 2025.