#Exhibit of the Month

Manufactured in 1902 by AG vorm Siedel & Nauman in Dresden, Germany.

Dimensions: Length - 38 cm, Width - 35 cm, Height - 20 cm. Weight - 16 kg. It entered the museum collection in 1984, transferred from the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History.

The typewriter features a standard carriage mounted on ball bearings and rollers, along with a keyboard equipped with 42 keys. These contain two complete sets of Latin and Cyrillic alphabets, punctuation marks, numbers, and mathematical symbols, enabling the typing of 126 characters. Beneath the metal casing, the type bars are arranged in a fan-like pattern, holding embossed characters and ink ribbon rollers. When the keys are pressed, the type bars strike the inked ribbon, imprinting characters onto the paper tensioned in the machine's roller system.

The side panels are elegantly decorated with refined cast-iron elements in the Art Nouveau style, displaying the brand name - "Ideal." The Polyglott model, featuring a bilingual keyboard patented in the United Kingdom by Max Klaczko from Riga, Latvia, was produced between 1902 and 1913, marking the first typewriter capable of writing in two languages. The "Ideal Polyglott" typewriter was actively sold in the Russian Empire and gained significant popularity in Poland, Bulgaria, and Serbia.
The typewriter - a mechanical device used for printing text directly onto paper - ranks among the most important inventions of the modern era, as it revolutionized communication. From the late 19th century to the early 21st century, it became an indispensable tool, widely used by writers, in offices, for business correspondence, and in private homes. The peak of typewriter sales occurred in the 1950s when the average annual sales in the United States reached 12 million units. In November 2012, the British Brother factory produced what it claimed to be the last typewriter, which was donated to the Science Museum in London.
The advent of computers, word processing software, printers, and the decreasing cost of these technologies led to the typewriter's disappearance from the mainstream market, turning it into a museum exhibit.
June 23 marks Typewriter Day, commemorating the date when American journalist and inventor Christopher Latham Sholes patented his typewriter. This day celebrates the simple yet revolutionary device that has become history, as well as the remarkable literary achievements it has enabled since 1868.

Virtual Tour

Events Archive

Dragobete Day at National Museum of History of Moldova

February 23, 2015

On the eve of traditional Romanian holiday Dragobete, the National Museum of History of Moldova organized in partnership with Esthetic Education Center „Lăstărel" and Theoretical Lyceum „Mircea Eliade" an event to honor ancestral cultural values, traditions and customs.

The Romanian version of „Valentine's Day" traces its origins to Dacians and to the belief in a god of love whose celebrations marked also the beginning of spring.

Feast of love and spring at the museum included a literary-musical show entitled „Dragobete kisses girls" performed by artistic groups of Esthetic Education Center „Lăstărel", pupils from the Republican Music Lyceum „Ciprian Porumbescu", Theoretical Lyceum „Mircea Eliade" and Theoretical Lyceum „Iulia Hasdeu".

On this occasion, in the Blue Room of the museum, where the event took place, was organized an exhibition of origami, which completed the festive atmosphere.

Program of literary-musical show „Dragobete kisses girls"

1. Welcome word by presenters Valeria Bârcă and Alexandru Iarovoi.
2. Performance by Group of whistlers „Mugurașii" from the Esthetic Education Center „Lăstărel" with a bouquet of songs, conductor Valeriu Mereuță:
- „Ciobănașul"
- „Rapsodia Română Nr.1 de George Enescu"
- „Trandafir de la Moldova".
3. Legend of Dragobete. Reciters: Victoria Stratulat and Cristian Moșoi.
4. Dragobete - symbol of spring. Presentation by: Alexandra Nicuță.
5. Scene „Dragobete - pupă fete". Performers: pupils from 12th grade from TL „Iulia Hașdeu", professor Eugenia Martea.
6. Romanian traditions and customs for Dragobete. Presentation by: Laura Gherman and Gabriela Chiperi, TL „Iulia Hașdeu" .
7. Music song „Ionel cu pălărie". Performance by: Sorin Culeac, Esthetic Education Center „Lăstărel".
8. Dance „Waltz". Performance by: Victorița Stratulat and Bogdan Cociurca, TL „Mircea Eliade".
9. Music song „Doi ochi căprui". Performance by: Andreea Cojocaru, TL „Mircea Eliade".
10. Poetry „Dragobete" by Viorica Pop. Recites: Mihaela Bargan, TL „Mircea Eliade".
11. Latino dances. Performance by: Victorița Stratulat and Bogdan Cociurca, TL „Mircea Eliade".
12. Poetry „Ce este amorul" by Mihai Eminescu. Recites: Valeria Bîrcă and Alexandru Iarovoi.
13. Violin solo. Valeria Graur, RML „Ciprian Porumbescu".
14. Music song „Iubirile nu mor". Performance by: Sârbu Nicoleta, RML „Ciprian Porumbescu".
15. Music song „Dacă ploaia s-ar opri". Performance by: pupils from 6th grade from RML „Ciprian Porumbescu".
16. Music song „E de necrezut". Performance by: Sârbu Nicoleta, RML „Ciprian Porumbescu".
17. Maxims about love. Reciter: Nicolae Grigoriță, RML „Ciprian Porumbescu".
18. The dance „Joc de sărbătoare". Performed by: group of modern dance „Boom Dance", Esthetic Education Center „Lăstărel". Conductor: Valentina Zagorscaia, Emeritus; ballet master: Elena Guțu; concert master: Irina Bogaciova.
19. Closing speech. Larisa Bardier, head of section, NMHM.

Dragobete Day at National Museum of History of Moldova

#Exhibit of the Month

"Ideal" Mechanical Typewriter, Model A Polyglott

Dragobete Day at National Museum of History of Moldova

February 23, 2015

#Exhibit of the Month