#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.

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Events Archive

Opening of the exhibition "State Information Agency "Moldpres" - 33 years eyewitness of the Republic of Moldova"

June 20, 2023

On June 20, 2023, at the National Museum of History of Moldova, the opening of the photo exhibition "State Information Agency "Moldpres" - 33 years eyewitness of the Republic of Moldova", which includes over 160 photos from political events, social, economic and cultural, since independence until now.

The director of Moldpres, Petru Beregoi, emphasized that the exhibition represents an opportunity to demonstrate that Moldpres, in addition to its main mission to inform, also has the responsibility to preserve the historical memory of the country through photographic art. The exhibition includes over 160 unique photographs selected from the Agency's digital archive, illustrating the evolution of major events and prominent personalities in the political, economic and cultural life of Moldova during the 33 years of independence.

Petru Beregoi highlighted the fact that Moldpres is the only media institution in the country that has demonstrated the ability to fulfill its mission of providing correct, equidistant and transparent information. Over time, Moldpres has been the main source of information for the international community about the activities and state policy promoted by the Presidency, Parliament and Government. The agency strives to balance and secure the information space of the Republic of Moldova by maintaining a correct and impartial line of information, respecting the principle of pluralism of opinions, freedom of expression and impartiality.

Fidel Galaico, head of the Moldpres News Office, mentioned that the Agency's 33-year age is symbolic, reflecting the resilience and professionalism of the team. The exhibition was designed to highlight Moldova's diversity, including agricultural work, folk traditions, sports, medicine and more, outside of the political realm. This represents the courage and heroism of the photojournalists who documented the war on the Dniester or the doctors' fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. Fidel Galaico thanked all the photojournalists who contributed over time to the creation of the exhibition.

Photojournalist Mihail Vengher, one of the authors of the exhibited photographs, emphasized that they represent a heritage for the country's history. After a careful selection from the hundreds of thousands of images in the agency's archive, the most representative moments were chosen and presented to the public.

The opening ceremony of the exhibition was attended by members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Chisinau, representatives of state institutions and employees of Moldpres.

The photo exhibition "State Information Agency "Moldpres" - 33 years of eyewitness of the Republic of Moldova", can be visited from June 20 to July 4, 2023, in the hall on the first floor of the National Museum of History of Moldova, 31 August 1989 street, 121A.