Václav Frič

Who is Václav Frič?

Václav Fric was a Czech naturalist and natural history dealer.

Václav Fric was the son of a lawyer Josef Fric. He studied taxidermy then chemistry at the Prague Technical University. He had an interest in photography.

Following a visit to London Fric opened his natural history business in Prague in 1862, supplying botanical, zoological and mineral specimens to museums, educational institutions and private collectors worldwide. He exhibited at trade fairs: the Volksfest in Linz, Paris World Fair, Moscow Polytechnic Exhibition, Vienna World Fair, again at the Paris World Fair, Australian International Exhibition in Sydney, and yet again at the Paris World Fair.

Fric married Anna Rottová the daughter of a hardware store owner. His first shop was located at Wassergasse 736-II Prague, later Wassergasse 21. Around 1878 the business was moved to "Wladislavsgasse 21a in Prag". It became a "trading natural history museum " first named "Fric's Museum of Natural History" then in 1911 the "Naturhistorisches Institut in Prag".