#Exhibit of the Month

The main parts of the camera include the body, bellows, lens, and viewfinder system. The body consists of two lacquered walnut wood frames, joined by a folding black textile bellows that allows the necessary extension for focusing. On the front panel is the Agfa anastigmat lens, mounted in a Compur-type shutter produced by F. Deckel in Munich. It features a foldable "brilliant" viewfinder for both portrait and landscape orientation. It uses glass photographic plates coated with a photographic emulsion, mounted in walnut wood holders, with a frame size of 9x12 cm.
The walnut wood model, considered the flagship "Agfa Isolar Luxus," was designed by the A.H. Rietzschel factory in Munich, acquired by AGFA in 1925, which continued producing this type of camera under its own name until the late 1920s.
The piece was restored by Mihail Culașco, Restoration Department of NMHM.
Brief History of the Camera
The history of the camera spans 200 years, evolving from the camera obscura to today's digital devices. Key milestones include: the first permanent photograph in 1826 by French physicist Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, using a wooden box and a plate coated with bitumen of Judea; the invention of the first photographic process - daguerreotype - in 1839 by Frenchman Louis Daguerre, marking the official birth of photography; the invention of calotype, based on the negative/positive principle, by British physicist and chemist Fox Talbot; the invention of wet collodion plates by Englishman Frederick Scott Archer and dry glass plates by Richard Leach Maddox and John Huds Bennet; the introduction of flexible roll film and the launch of the first Kodak camera by American inventor George Eastman; the release of the first 35 mm film camera by German company "Leica"; the launch of the first instant camera "Polaroid," invented by American Edwin Land. Finally, starting in 1975, this path led to the digital photography revolution. Each successive step made cameras smaller and faster, significantly improving image quality.
The first photographic studio in Chișinău was opened in 1854 by Eduard Glewski, and before World War I, there were already about 100 photography studios in Bessarabia.
The collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova includes over 30 cameras, made in Austria, Germany, France, USSR, Japan, and China, dating from the late 19th century to the 2000s. Among them are folding bellows cameras, BOX-type cameras, single-lens reflex (SLR) and twin-lens reflex (TLR) cameras, as well as digital (DSLR) cameras.

Virtual Tour

Exhibitions

„Pages of History: Promoting Children's Rights in Moldova”

May 31 - June 30, 2024

The photo exhibition „Pages of History: Promoting Children's Rights in Moldova" was developed by UNICEF in partnership with the National Museum of History of Moldova to mark the International Children's Day and the 35th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The exhibition features 25 photos from the UNICEF archive, emphasizing key moments during 1994 - 2024.

Photos capture the history of UNICEF in Moldova since 1995. Over the years, UNICEF's interventions have significantly contributed to improving the lives of children and guaranteeing their rights, particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The exhibition also illustrates UNICEF's mandate in essential areas, such as protection, education, health, and freedom of expression for every child.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November 1989. Moldova ratified the Convention in 1993 and has proved its commitment to make a change in children's lives by protecting and promoting their rights. Throughout this period, UNICEF has continuously worked with authorities and communities to ensure a better future for children and young people in the country.

The exhibition can be seen between May 31 and June 30, 2024, on the fence of the National Museum of History of Moldova, Chisinau, 31 August 1989 street, 121A.