From quill pen to typewriter, from litter to balance bike, from money stocking to crinolines and trousseaus – this array of everyday objects sheds light on past ways of life.

The exhibits expose three centuries of technical and social change. The toiletries reveal evolving notions of hygiene, while the trousseau lists and embroidered kitchen aphorisms tell of changed role models. The muff made of monkey fur and cups for turtle soup attest to today’s more respectful treatment of animals.

Exhibited alongside these are the once typical accoutrements of the bourgeois dining table. Through all these objects, the exhibition at the Barfüsserkirche examines how everyday life has changed. Almost all the exhibits are drawn from the Historical Museum’s own holdings. Accompanying the exhibition is a generously illustrated publication published by Christoph Merian Verlag Basel.