Exhibition: Pilsen Shooting Targets 1792 – 1885

The exhibition loosely follows on from the display „Plzeňská městská zbrojnice“ (Plzeň Municipal Armoury), which introduces visitors to the museum's municipal weapons and to Pilsen as a fortified town from the Hussite Wars to the Thirty Years' War. It explores the history of the armed Pilsen civic marksmen's guild and presents the period from the late 18th century to the second half of the 19th century. For the first time, a set of 47 painted Pilsen shooting targets is on display. These are held in the collections of the Museum of West Bohemia in Pilsen and have undergone demanding restoration. The surviving targets are supplemented by panels with photographs of 27 lost targets that disappeared at the end of the Second World War. The targets are not only evidence of shooting competitions and guild life but also an important source for the development of regional painting and visual culture. At the same time, they document the urban development and growth of the city of Pilsen. The exhibition will also present shooting-gallery structures from the period.

CATALOGUE for the exhibition can be purchased at the museum reception or through our e-shop.