#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

The 2023 World Press Photo Exhibition Opening

November 15, 2023

For seven years, the public has had the opportunity to learn the stories behind some of the most powerful photographs that mark humanity. The exhibition opened on November 15 at the National Museum of History of Moldova, where the winning photographs of the most prestigious photo competition in the world were presented. The seventh international exhibition “World Press Photo” is organized by the World Press Photo Foundation from the Netherlands in partnership with the Center for Independent Journalism and the Piko Creative Agency, with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Chisinau.

The opening of the World Press Photo Exhibition, traditionally held under the general title “Stories that Matter”, was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Chisinau, journalists, photographers, students and photography enthusiasts.

At the opening, the General Director of the National Museum of History of Moldova Dr. habil, Eugen Sava delivered a welcoming speech, emphasizing the significance of the World Press Photo Exhibition, and especially of the stories, often tragic, behind these photographs. Ms. Maaike Keizer, Deputy Head of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Chisinau, in her speech highly appreciated the fact that for seven years the Moldavian public can enjoy this world-renowned exhibition, emphasizing that an independent press is one of the most important pillars of a democratic society. Also, the coordinator of the World Press Photo Exhibition (Netherlands) Mariana Rettore Baptista gave an online speech in which she emphasized that this competition is intended for professional photographers from all over the world, and every year an independent jury selects the best from all regions of the world. Ms. Nadine Gogu, Executive Director of the Center for Independent Journalism (CJI), spoke about the importance of visual journalism in communication, including online communication, and the role of this exhibition for the Republic of Moldova.

The winning images of the 2023 World Press Photo draw attention to the biggest challenges facing humanity today – documenting the war in Ukraine and its impact on civilians, the historic protests in Iran, the realities of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, the many aspects of the climate crisis in such countries as Morocco, Australia, Peru, Kazakhstan. At the same time, the contest highlights the importance of press photography throughout the world.

Photography enthusiasts can visit the World Press Photo Exhibition at the National Museum of History of Moldova for the next three weeks, until December 6, 2023.

#Exhibit of the Month

"Ideal" Mechanical Typewriter, Model A Polyglott

The 2023 World Press Photo Exhibition Opening

November 15, 2023

#Exhibit of the Month