Mirror

The mirror comes from a private apartment of Janina Szczerska (born on 22 October 1897 in Stryj, died on 10 July 1981 in Szczecin) – Polish language teacher, founder and director of the first Polish secondary school in post-war Szczecin, later renamed the High School no. 1. This piece of furniture, together with other personal effects, was donated to the collection of the National Museum in Szczecin on the basis of a bequest made on 1 September 1976. The first mirrors were made of polished stones. It was not until the 13th century that the first glass mirrors appeared in Europe, and Venice quickly became famous for their production. The factories there used mixtures of mercury alloys with glass mass, which enabled them to obtain clear glass. Over time, the French and English took the lead in mirror production. Starting from the 19th century mirrors began to be produced on an industrial scale, thanks to which they ceased to be available only to the wealthiest – as a result, they became a staple of home decor.

Anna Lew-Machniak