#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.

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Events Archive

Museum Day and Night at the National Museum of History of Moldova

May 19th 2018

This year, two of the most important events in the life of the world's museum community - International Museum Day and Museum Night were celebrated by the National Museum of History of Moldova on May 19^th. On this occasion, the public of all ages was offered a special program of activities, which took place between 10.00-24.00.

Agenda of events dedicated to the International Museum Day

10.00-18.00

Free visit of the permanent and temporary museum exhibitions (10.00-18.00)
Origami Workshop for children and parents „Magic hands”. Place: the lobby on the ground floor (11.00-16.00)
Projections from the special edition of the International Documentary Film Festival “Cronograf”. Played documentaries: “Variations on a name - Nicolae Simatoc” (Variațiuni pe un nume – Nicolae Simatoc), “The expeditions of memory: Irkutsk” (Expeditiile memoriei: Irkutsk) and “The expedition of Memory. Siberia. Krasnoyarsk” („Expediţiile Memoriei. Siberia. Krasnoyarsk) by director Violeta Gorgos; “Life of a cinema engineer” (Viata unui mecanic de cinema) and “The poor on the Prut” (Sărmana de pe Prut), by director Leontina Vatamanu; „National Theater of Opera and Ballet from the Republic of Moldova” (Teatrul Național de Operă și Balet din Republica Moldova) by director Natalia Juncu. Location: „Clio” cinematheque (11.00-18.00)
Game Guiest “Look, understand, participate!”, activity that develops attention, logical thinking, memory and competitiveness in children. Location: permanent exhibition (11.00-16.00)
Display of motorcycles from the second half of the 20^th century which are owned by the members of the club “Free Dacians”. Location: museum courtyard (12.00-20.00)
Recital of classical music performed by the students of the Musical School „Maria Bieșu”. Location: Blue Room (14.00-15.00)
Cultural-educational program for lovers of military history and traditions (exhibition of books and documentary films on DVD made by the Academy of Police; outdoor cinema of films that show ancient military traditions; medieval weapons and electronic shooting workshops), supported by the MIA Academy “Stefan cel Mare”. Location: museum courtyard (15.00-19.00).

Agenda of events dedicated to the European Museum Night

18.00-24.00

Free visit of the permanent and temporary museum exhibitions. Interactive animations (18.00-23.30)
Entertainment activity „From fragment to whole”. The visitors are invited to assemble 4 puzzles with historical topic: Tarabostes, Soroca Fortress, Four pictures of poet Mihai Eminescu, Map of Greater Romania. Location: permanent exhibition (18.00-23.30)
Performance „Military traditions. Between the past, present and future” (historical and military shows with medieval costumes and equipment; demonstration of arms handling), prepared by the students of the Academy „Ştefan cel Mare” of the MIA. Location: museum courtyard (18.00-19.00)
„Classics in the museum” – classical music recital of great popularity offered by the National String Quartet of the Organ Hall in Chișinău. Location: museum ground floor (20.00-21.00)
Pop music performance, supported by Ricu Vodă, Radu Dolgan, Valeriu and Aurica Cordineanu, Silvia Grigore, Serj Cuzencoff, Roxana, Lavinia Rusu, Victor Granaci, Victoria Cebotari, Mihaela Țurcan, Emily, Valeria Dunai, Cristina Mahu, Rafael Bobeica, El Radu, Ansamblul folcloric „Baștina” (Center for Excellence in Transport. Artistic director Nicolae Gribincea), pop music band „Haiducii”. Organizer: Culture Department of Chșinău City Hall. Location: museum courtyard (20.30-23.00)
Flash-mob with the participation of the students of UCCM. Location: museum ground floor (23.30)

#Exhibit of the Month

"Ideal" Mechanical Typewriter, Model A Polyglott

Museum Day and Night at the National Museum of History of Moldova

May 19th 2018

#Exhibit of the Month