Collections and information service

K. H. Renlund Museum preserves, expands and showcases the substantial and valuable collection of art and objects. The City of Kokkola’s collections include about 30,000 objects, 5,500 artworks and 350,000 photos and 500 linear meters of archive material.

The Museum is tasked with fostering and maintain the cultural heritage and also with studying and interpreting it from a modern point of view. Through the information service related to the materials, the museum enables and promotes research on cultural heritage and history.

Archive and book collections

The collection of historical documents includes documents related to the local and personal history of the City of Kokkola and Central Ostrobothnia. In addition to the documents, the collection includes maps and other paper materials such as small prints, cards and advertisements.

The oldest samples in the relatively vast book collection date back to the 18th century. The collection includes e.g. books, once owned by Anders Chydenius, ecclesiastical literature and old text books.

The local heritage archive of Kokkola contains, among other things, archived materials of local associations, businesses and private persons.

Culture-historical artefact collection and photograph collection

The culture-historical collection includes, among other things, furniture, clothing, articles and textiles related to urban culture and urban living. The collection provides a diverse glimpse into the history and contemporary existence of the local life. The collections also have many objects related to local occupations and livelihoods and items manufactured by local artisans.

The photograph collections include photographic plates, film negatives, photographs and slides. The photographs focus on local everyday life and work, the built environment and how it has changed, as well as the people living in Kokkola at different times.

Art collections

The core of the art collection is the collection donated by K. H. Renlund, which includes paintings from the golden age of Finnish art. The collection has been built up with works by locally and nationally significant artists.

The Museum’s collections include the vast ITE Art Collection owned by the Association for Rural Culture and Education. In addition, the Museum has accepted substantial donations of Central European marginal art. The donated collections include, among other things, sets of works donated by Maija and Volker Dallmeier, Elke and Werner Zimmer as well Dietz Mertin.

K. H. Renlund Museum is responsible for the art placed in different city facilities and public buildings in Kokkola and for public art projects.