The exhibition Colors of Pharmacy Glass is part of the private collection of Delnice collector Kristian Moguš. The author of the exhibition is Kristian Moguš, and the coordination and display of the exhibition is signed by Ivica Knežević.

It is a collection of glass pharmacy jars from the period from 1800 to 1960, originating from countries around the world such as France, Argentina, Italy (Murano), Germany, Austria, Poland… and of course Croatia, with a special emphasis on Delnice pharmacy and part of the Jelinek family collection. In addition to the jars, other pharmacy equipment from the aforementioned period will be exhibited, as well as several installations for the youngest.

Jars are pharmacy containers that were used to store raw materials for the production of medicinal preparations. Depending on the financial capabilities of the pharmacist, they were made of glass, ceramics and wood, intended for liquid or solid raw materials, of various shapes and volumes. Most glass jars were made by free-blowing into a mold all types of glass, such as crystal, black, yellow, white, brown, blue, cobalt, red, uranium green, etc. The labels on the jars were hand-painted in enamel and baked with glass to become a permanent part of the jar.

The Croatian Museum of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts is also participating in this exhibition with a poster dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the pharmacy in Delnice and a reproduction of the portrait of the Delnice pharmacist Dragutin Jelinek from the Museum collection, painted by Hinko Brodjovin in 1917.

The Jelineks came to Delnice from the Czech Republic, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Karlo Jelinek graduated in pharmacy in Prague in 1861. With his wife Marija Tengler, he set off in search of work to Zagreb, from Zagreb to Ogulin, to settle in Delnice in 1875 and open the first pharmacy in Gorski Kotar there. They had the pharmacy and apartment in rented space. The family building with the pharmacy in Supilova Street was completed in 1905. The pharmacy “K sv. Mariji” did very well, and many drugs were prepared in its own laboratory with medicinal herbs from Gorski Kotar. Karlo and Marija had two daughters: Marija and Slava, and three sons: Miloš, an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Navy, Viktor, a journalist, and Dragutin, who studied pharmacy and continued the family business. Dragutin Jelinek (Czech Republic, 13. 12. 1869. – Delnice, 7. 1. 1946.) was a respected entrepreneur, an active intellectual who advocated for a better life in Delnice. For a time he was also the head of the Croatian Pharmacists’ Association. He married a teacher, Zora Weiner from Sisak. Zora’s first husband, Gabrijel pl. Drenovački, was a military doctor in Ogulin. He died young and left behind a wife and son, Mirko. Mirko grew up in the Jelinek family, graduated in pharmacy and worked with his stepfather in a pharmacy. He joined the National Liberation Army and was killed in action in 1943. The pharmacy has borne his name since 1975. Dragutin’s son, Maks Jelinek (1915-1995), continued the tradition of successful pharmacists from this family. He graduated in pharmacy and worked with his father, and after his father’s death in 1946 and the nationalization of the pharmacy, he was the director of the pharmacy until his retirement. In addition to his basic job as a pharmacist (he was always at the service of patients at night), he actively participated in many social organizations, especially sports ones. He married Ljerka Rubin (1917–1994) from Zagreb, a piano teacher. Their sons Dragutin, a veterinarian, and Miljenko, a dentist, moved to Međimurje. Both of them participated in the Homeland War: Dragutin as an organizer of civil protection, and Miljenko went to fight as a volunteer in 1991. He died from the consequences of the war in difficult winter conditions on the Lika front on 22 January 1994. The last Jelinek left Delnice in 2006. The Delnice pharmacy still operates in the same building at Supilova Street 45, where part of the old inventory is kept.

Informations about the Jelinek family and photographs from the family photo archive were kindly provided by Ružica Jelinek. The exhibition posters were prepared by Silvija Brkić Midžić and Stella Fatović-Ferenčić.

As a part of the exhibition, visitors will also be able to view a slide show presenting the history, holdings and work of the Croatian Museum of Medicine and Pharmacy to date.