More Objects of Modernity
The technological transformation of the 1920s through the Uriach legacy, part two
Laboratory (1920)Fundación Uriach
The objects and images gathered in this exhibition, drawn from the Uriach Foundation archive, bear witness to how technology and innovation transformed business life in the 1920s. A unique legacy showing that the ability to adapt is the key to enduring.
Warehouses or manufacturing pavilions (1920)Fundación Uriach
If you missed the first part of the exhibition, you can visit it at this link.
Mechanical pressure
Created by the Barcelona company Arcas y Básculas Soler, this press was used to obtain copies, a type of high-quality tracing that allowed contracts, invoices and correspondence to be duplicated quickly and efficiently.
Uriach office (1920)Fundación Uriach
A large part of the corporate documentation was managed in these spaces. Behind a side door was the archive, where the most important documents were kept, many of them reproduced with this press.
Model No. 6, weighing 84 kilos and equipped with an internal gear mechanism, could apply strong pressure. Its nickel-plated upper knobs provided functionality and an elegant appearance that suited Uriach’s modern offices.
Utility calls
Unlike desktop models, this wall-mounted device from L. M. Ericsson was more practical than decorative. Its lower price encouraged its spread in offices and warehouses, marking a notable business advancement.
Uriach warehouse (1920)Fundación Uriach
To streamline logistics and administration, Uriach used this model as an internal intercom, connecting different areas of the business quickly and reliably without the need for a telephone switchboard.
By turning its crank or magneto, the current needed to ring the double bell was generated, signaling a call. This system was common until the arrival of rotary dial automatic telephones.
Accuracy behind glass
In a context in which importing scientific equipment was expensive, national companies such as Tallada, Llofriu & Co. produced quality instruments like these balances for the emerging local industry in need of new technology.
Wholesale warehouse (1920)Fundación Uriach
Uriach had several storage areas depending on their function. This space featured perimeter shelving on two levels, a large wooden surface for preparing orders, and drawer units for storing materials.
The protective case of varnished wood and glass, with a vertical access door, kept the balance isolated from dust and air currents, ensuring weighing accuracy thanks to its symmetrical arms and hanging pans.
Echoes from overseas
In the 1920s, Uriach imported products and raw materials from various parts of the world, many of them from the Americas thanks to the proximity of the port. One of the most effective transportation systems was the barrel, many of which were made in Catalan artisanal workshops.
Raw materials warehouse (1920)Fundación Uriach
A wide variety of products were stored in the warehouses in boxes, sacks and barrels, containing alcohols, oils, raw materials of natural origin, as well as foods such as rice or sugar.
Made from curved staves of hardwood and reinforced with hardened wooden hoops, barrels were an omnipresent element in Barcelona at the time, until the arrival of plastic and metal materials.
Clay and fire
Used since Mesopotamian times, refractory ceramics have been a key element in the evolution of societies. In the 1920s, the leading company in our country was the Catalan firm Cucurny, whose technical vessels helped consolidate industrialization.
Uriach production area (1920)Fundación Uriach
Uriach produced and distilled medicines, galenic preparations and other products using different techniques and instruments, such as ceramic vessels. All this took place during a period of transition between artisanal production and modern industrialization.
These ceramics were capable of withstanding temperatures above 1,000 °C, thermal shocks and the action of corrosive substances, making them indispensable containers for reactions, furnaces and chemical processes.
Raw materials warehouse (1920)Fundación Uriach
Just as is currently happening with the development of technologies such as artificial intelligence, the objects and images in this exhibition allow us to understand that technological evolution has been, and continues to be, essential for business and social progress.
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