#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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Musical literary show „We are here to carol!”

December 23rd, 2015

It is a tradition for Christmas holidays for the National Museum of History of Moldova to organize shows for children from socially and financially vulnerable families. The purpose of these activities is to promote the rights of children and their families and facilitate their integration into the society. Also, these activities provide an opportunity for these children to enter the wonderful world of winter holidays, to get to know better winter traditions and meet Santa Claus.

On December 23rd, the National Museum of History of Moldova (coordinator: Larisa Bardier) in collaboration with the Social service „Personal Assistance" (coordinator: Tatiana Plucci) and the Center for Aesthetic Education „Lăstărel" (coordinators: Alexandr Cocean, Viorica Florea and Elena Prutean) have organized a musical literary show for children from disadvantaged families living in the municipality of Chișinău of with the title „We are here to carol!". The show was performed by artistic groups of the Center for Aesthetic Education „Lăstărel": Boy's Choir „Academia Campanelli", coordinator Elena Gulpac; Vocal group „Ell-By-Star", coordinator Nelea Maslo, concert maestro Mariana Ganea; Folk group „Dumbrăvița", coordinator Marina Dumbrăveanu, concert maestro Victor Dumbrăveanu; Instrumental group of Fanfare Orchestra „Tenore", coordinator Ion Cojocaru, concert maestro Victor Pogonii; Vocal-choral group „Alegria", coordinator Vasile Roșioru; Vocal group „Tinerețe Floare", coordinator Marcel Stoian; Vocal circle lead by Evghenia Bolotova; Dramatic circle „Copăcel", coordinator Andrei Graur.

From the Program:
1. Suite of carols „Aprindeți luminile", „Şedric", „Veniți gazdă la fereastră" and „Colindăm, colindăm iarna", performed by Boy's Choir „Academia Campanelli".
2. Instrumental song „Am venit să colindăm!", performed by Instrumental group of Fanfare Orchestra „Tenore".
3. Poem „Iarna" by Georgeta Voinovan, presented by Mădălina Graur, member of Dramatic circle „Copăcel".
4. Christmas Carol with Diana Stoica, solo singer of vocal group „Tinerețe Floare".
5. Song „Steaua Crăciunului", performed by vocal group „Ell-By-Star".
6. Carol „O, ce veste minunată", performed by Maria Godoroja, solo singer of vocal-choral group „Alegria".
7. Song „Iară e Crăciunul", performed by Vocal group „Ell-By-Star".
8. Instrumental song „Clopoței", performed by Instrumental group of Fanfare Orchestra „Tenore".
9. Song „Noaptea de Crăciun", performed by Cujbă Valeria and Beziazîcinîi Denis, members of vocal circle.
10. Artistic moment of winter traditions, performed by Folk group „Dumbrăvița".

At the end of the show the children received gifts from Santa Claus.

Musical literary show „We are here to carol!”

#Exhibit of the Month

"Ideal" Mechanical Typewriter, Model A Polyglott

Musical literary show „We are here to carol!”

December 23rd, 2015

#Exhibit of the Month