Glass Factory History and Nostalgia Exhibition at the Finnish Glass Museum sheds new light on familiar glass objects

The Finnish Glass Museum's spring 2027 exhibition highlights the colorful history and everyday design of the Kauklahti, Kumela and Humppila glass factories. Through familiar retro objects, the exhibition examines glassmaking, changes in design and everyday Finnish life.

An amber-colored vase on grandma's window, a floral-patterned serving dish on a festive table, a bright green drinking glass on a summer cottage, or a sleek orange decanter at a flea market. Familiar glassware has become sought-after vintage treasures. They reflect more than just nostalgia.

The Kauklahti Glass Factory (1923–1952) was founded in Espoo and became part of the Riihimäki Glass Factory in 1927. The factory is known especially for its painted glass objects and lamp glass. The objects produced by the Kumela Glass Factory – Oy Kumela (1937–1985), which operated in Riihimäki, showed features of modern design and sculptural qualities, especially in the 1960s and 1970s.

The Humppila Glass Factory (1952–2008) was founded by the Helander brothers, who had worked at the Nuutajärvi Glass Factory. Instead of simple lines and minimalist design, Humppila's production often focused on lush and organic expression.

The Finnish Glass Museum's exhibition focuses on objects and stories from three glass factories. Why Kumela, Kauklahti and Humppila? There are many objects that have been part of Finnish everyday life, but are not necessarily part of our best-known design history or part of its most central story.

The production of the three factories has emphasized colors, rough sculpturality, and decorativeness, among other things. The exhibition looks beyond the minimalist design canon: towards an aesthetic that is strong in terms of the material, experimental, colorful, and connected to everyday life.

Through three smaller glass factories, the exhibition also provides glimpses into changes in design and the glass industry: the birth and growth of small factories, the movement of designers and expertise between factories, and the integration of small manufacturers into larger ones. The surfaces of retro classics and glass objects that are familiar to many, reveal the history of glass factories, Finnish everyday life, and the changing ideals of design.

The exhibition opens at the Finnish Glass Museum on February 6, 2027 and ends on April 11, 2027.