THE COLLECTION

Rombouts has a collection of more than 5,000 historical coffee-related items. These items represent the story of days gone by and of historical ways of life. Some items are even one-of-a-kind!

COFFEE GRINDERS
 
The Rombouts collection is without a doubt one of the most complete collections in the world. Every type of grinder is represented with historical and modern models, home-crafted and industrial designs.
 
To discover the different models in the Rombouts/Malongo collection, visit the exhibition’s website “Five centuries of coffee grinders“.

ENGRAVINGS AND POSTERS

Rombouts boasts a collection of lithograph posters from the first half of the 20th century. These show the world of plantations and the world of coffee drinkers in a style which is sometimes art nouveau, sometimes art deco.

Engravings complete this iconographic collection. They tell the story of Oriental ports in the 16th century, or 17th century plantations. They recount certain episodes in the history of coffee, some in a serious way and some humorously.

ACQUISITIONS

The Rombouts collection regularly purchases items which have a particular historical or aesthetic interest.

In 2005, the famous “French Provinces” collection of wall-mounted grinders – children’s version – joined the collection with various other objects, including a “depression glass coffee pot”.