Exhibition
Pigeon racing heritage
A permanent exhibition space has been built in the Descheemaecker Pigeon Center to make the history of pigeon sport tangible for young and old. In the meantime, the pigeon sport's heritage has been well preserved here for more than 20 years. In 2020 the entire expo space was renovated to put the pigeon sport in the spotlight even more and to be able to receive groups of visitors better.
To further promote the pigeon sport, the current renovation has invested in a better visualisation of the museum collection. Old and newer pieces from the pigeon sport are now presented to the public in an interactive manner (in a permanent exhibition space). At the same time, a nice reception room, a pleasant meeting room and new offices were created.
Everything started with a dream...
Our dream is to use our many years of experience to further promote the pigeon sport and to pass on our passion to the next generations.
The pigeon sport is a modern, exciting and international sport with a long history. “With our new exhibition space we want to introduce youngsters to the pigeon sport in an interactive and more digital way. With videos we show how a pigeon chooses its route during a competition and information panels show important physical characteristics of a good pigeon. With listening horns you as a visitor can listen to the story of famous pigeons from the past. With authentic images from the old box, memories can be retrieved from for instance the Junior pigeon timer”, explains Stephan Descheemaecker. “And for the little ones, there is now also a play corner in our new reception area. You can enjoy a snack and drink here in front of the fireplace or at the bar. The pigeon sport is a family sport and we want to inspire everyone to get acquainted with it at the Descheemaecker Pigeon Center. Active in the pigeon sport or not, everyone is welcome in our expo to come and get to know the pigeon sport.”
Past, present and future come together in our new exhibition space : the pigeon sport, the Descheemaecker Brothers, our magazines Duifke Lacht and Pigeon Rit and the Descheemaecker Pigeon Center. We are proud that the third generation of the Descheemaecker family has invested further in the promotion of pigeon sport.
For the execution of the works we found the suitable partner in Fugzia from Leuven. They carried out the work with a team of professionals and solved all the challenges that arose en route perfectly.
The new offices were taken into service on January 2nd, 2020. Our passionate team handles your orders here, manages the Duifke Lacht / Pigeon Rit subscriptions and answers all your questions.
Did you know that you can also book a guided tour with your club, friends or family? Contact us via info@pigeoncenter.be for the possibilities or visit www.pigeoncenter.be/en/expo/visit-our-exposition
Next to a beautiful collection of pigeon clocks, all kinds of unique pieces are exhibited. Silent witnesses to the history and evolution of the pigeon as courier, soldier and racing pigeon. Furthermore, the covers and integral magazines of the predecessor of “Duifke Lacht” are nicely displayed.
In addition, visitors can get acquainted with the living room of the Janssens brothers, which is permanently set up here. Outside are the original lofts of the Janssens brothers: a real gem to visit. The collection is appreciated both at home and abroad! In December 2017, for example, the living room of the Janssens brothers was flown in to one of the largest pigeon fairs in Asia: DBA Asia in Nanjing. Thanks to careful preparation, the Asian pigeon fancier could also enjoy this unique collection!
Origin of the collection
The flying start of the permanent exhibition in Sint-Antonius-Zoersel happened on February 1st, 1998. The pigeon museum was officially inaugurated by Noël Descheemaecker and his sons Frans and Joseph Descheemaecker. In the past years, the collection has been continually expanded by items that have been donated.
Originally, however, the museum was located in La Garde Freinet in the south of France, about 1,200 km from Sint-Antonius-Zoersel. After all, it was in that specific French municipality that the second breeding station was established and where young pigeons from the winter breeding were brought. The underlying idea was that the growth of these youngsters would be improved by the softer climate. Frans Descheemaecker started his collection of the history of pigeon racing there and so people on holiday in the south of France could also get acquainted with the pigeon racing culture.
When it was decided to centralise the breeding of pigeons in one place, the museum was also transferred to Sint-Antonius-Zoersel. All pieces were carefully packed and shipped from France. The biggest piece was undoubtedly the French army truck, which is currently still on display.
Your piece in the exhibition
The Descheemaecker family believes it is important that the history of pigeon racing is kept as complete as possible. Maybe you still have a prop at home that is eligible for the exhibition? You can contact us freely through publishing@pigeoncenter.be. with a description, if possible the year and a number of photos of your object. We will then contact you and make an appointment to see if the object is eligible for inclusion in our collection.
Moreover, it is possible to temporarily exhibit your piece in the exhibition space with your name attached. We will also be working with temporary exhibitions or themes in the near future. If you prefer not to separate with your piece, but would still like to share this with other pigeon fanciers, we can together check out the possibilities for a temporary exhibition.
