{"id":54079,"date":"2026-07-29T11:50:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T08:50:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amenucentras.lt\/exhibition-at-kurkliai-synagogue-the-burton-phenomenon\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T15:55:39","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T12:55:39","slug":"exhibition-at-kurkliai-synagogue-the-burton-phenomenon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amenucentras.lt\/en\/exhibition-at-kurkliai-synagogue-the-burton-phenomenon\/","title":{"rendered":"Exhibition at Kurkliai Synagogue: The \u201cBurton\u201d Phenomenon"},"content":{"rendered":"
Kurkliai presents the story of a Litvak who transformed the history of British tailoring<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Can a person leave a small town in Lithuania and go on to make such an impact that their name becomes part of an entire country\u2019s clothing history? The story of Moishe David Osinsky shows that it is possible. <\/h5>\n
Born in Kurkliai in 1885, this Jewish boy would later become known around the world as Sir Montague Burton. At just fifteen years old, he left for Great Britain. Arriving with almost no money and unable to speak English, he began with a small trading business and eventually built one of the largest men\u2019s clothing companies in 20th-century Britain. <\/h5>\n
The name \u201cBurton\u201d became inseparable from the history of the British suit. The company sought to make a quality suit accessible not only to the wealthy, but also to working people. For Montague Burton, clothing was more than fabric and tailoring \u2013 it was a symbol of dignity, self-confidence and a person\u2019s place in society. <\/h5>\n
The Hudson Road Mills factory in Leeds was considered the largest clothing factory in the world. Around 10,500 people worked there, producing approximately 30,000 suits a week. Yet Burton\u2019s business was known not only for its scale, but also for its progressive approach to employee welfare. The factories provided canteens, medical facilities, dentists, hairdressers, recreation areas, sports facilities and a range of employee welfare programmes. <\/h5>\n
For his contribution to industry, social initiatives and philanthropic activities, Montague Burton was knighted by the British Crown.<\/h5>\n
On 30 July at 6 p.m., the Kurkliai Synagogue in the Anyk\u0161\u010diai District will open the exhibition \u201cThe \u2018Burton\u2019 Phenomenon: The Story of Moishe David Osinsky\u201d. During the opening, Dr Giedr\u0117 Mileryt\u0117-Japertien\u0117, a historian at the National Museum of Lithuania, will present the life of Sir Montague Burton, the clothing business he built, his social ideas, and his journey from Kurkliai to a significant place in British industrial history. <\/h5>\n
The exhibition will feature a Burton jacket from the collections of the National Museum of Lithuania, historical photographs from the Leeds Museums and Galleries \/ Burton Company Archive, fabric samples, and other objects and materials that complement the story.<\/h5>\n
\u201cWith this exhibition, we want to show that the history of Kurkliai is much broader than it may seem at first glance. It is a town that gave rise to people whose lives became part of world history. The story of Moishe David Osinsky is one such story,\u201d say the exhibition organisers. <\/h5>\n
The exhibition marks the 500th anniversary of the first recorded mention of the name Kurkliai. The occasion provides an opportunity to recall what makes the town special, the people it has produced, and the heritage it can be proud of today. <\/h5>\n
Opening: Thursday, 30 July, 6 p.m.<\/h5>\n
Venue: Kurkliai Synagogue, 4A S. N\u0117ries St., Kurkliai <\/h5>\n
Exhibition dates: 30 July \u2013 13 September<\/h5>\n
Partners and supporters: Lithuanian Council for Culture, National Museum of Lithuania, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Kult\u016bros kurortas, Anyk\u0161\u010diai District Municipality, Anyk\u0161ta newspaper and Anyk\u0161ta.lt.<\/h5>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>