#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

Events Archive

Closing Conference of the Exhibition "The Riches of Southern Romania: The Embroidered Peasant Blouse from Muntenia, Oltenia, Dobrogea, and Southern Moldova"

July 31, 2024

The National Museum of History of Moldova announces the conclusion of the temporary exhibition "The Riches of Southern Romania: The Embroidered Peasant Blouse from Muntenia, Oltenia, Dobrogea, and Southern Moldova," which was open to the public from June 23 to July 31, 2024. This exhibition was organized in partnership with the "Dimitrie Gusti" National Village Museum in Bucharest, with support from the "Mihai Eminescu" Romanian Cultural Institute in Chișinău.

At the closing event held on July 31, 2024, a conference was dedicated to the theme "Heritage Element: Traditional Costume from Romania in the Collections of the 'Dimitrie Gusti' National Village Museum." The conference was moderated by Mrs. Monica Babuc, Director of the "Mihai Eminescu" Romanian Cultural Institute in Chișinău. A thematic presentation was delivered by Mrs. Georgiana Onoiu, Director of Heritage at the "Dimitrie Gusti" National Village Museum. She provided an in-depth discussion on the conservation, restoration, and promotion of traditional Romanian costumes, emphasizing their importance within the context of national cultural heritage.

The exhibition showcased 71 pieces of traditional attire from the collection of Mrs. Marghiolița Constantinescu Rogojan, which are included in the heritage of the "Dimitrie Gusti" National Village Museum. These items, primarily consisting of embroidered peasant blouses, originate from the regions of Muntenia, Oltenia, Dobrogea, and Southern Moldova. The selection of these objects aimed to highlight the diversity and complexity of the crafting techniques and decorative styles characteristic of Southern Romania.

During the exhibition, the public had the opportunity to explore the aesthetic and functional features of the embroidered blouses, a central element of traditional attire in these regions. Additionally, the exhibition provided an opportunity to deepen knowledge about the cultural and social significance of this type of traditional attire, which holds an important place in Romania's intangible heritage.

At the closing conference, Mrs. Monica Babuc, Director of the "Mihai Eminescu" Romanian Cultural Institute in Chișinău, and Dr. habil. Eugen Sava, General Director of the National Museum of History of Moldova, reaffirmed their commitment to continuing efforts to promote cultural heritage through future exhibitions and events that will offer the public an opportunity to learn about and appreciate the cultural and historical diversity of the region.

The National Museum of History of Moldova extends its gratitude to institutional partners for their essential contributions to the realization of this exhibition, as well as to the visitors for their interest over the more than five weeks of the event. The exhibition "The Riches of Southern Romania" is part of a series of events organized by the museum to valorize and promote Romania's tangible and intangible cultural heritage.