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.
Abstract: The article "On museumification of the historical site Camp of Swedish King Charles XII at Varnița" considers the problem of residence of the Swedish King Charles XII in Moldova, on the right bank of the Dniester, in Bender and Varnița, as well as the need for research and lighting this common segment of Moldavian, Turkish, and Swedish history through the museumification of the historical site. Particular attention is paid to the plans of arrangement of the Swedish king's camps at Bender and Varnița drawn up during the 19th century, especially to the plan created in 1840 by Bogdan Eitner, which now is stored in the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova (Chișinău). In considering the issue a new approach was used, which is particularly reflected in the emphasizing of the role of certain figures and institutions in preserving the memory of the Swedish King Charles XII in the period of time between the two wars. There are also original the prospects concerning the educational role that could carry the museumification of the historical site. E. Ploșnița believes that protection of the historical site through its museumification will offer a retrospective of history, thus stimulating memory that contributes to individual cultural identity. The author hopes that Sweden and the Republic of Moldova, the local community and the authorities will be able to use the common history segment associated with the name of the Swedish king Charles XII. In recent years employees of the National Museum of History of Moldova put forward a lot of ideas and proposals for the rehabilitation of the historical site Camp of Swedish King Charles XII at Varnița. Thus, in 2007-2008 A. Cornețchi drafted the project Historical Heritage, which included the involvement of experts from the Republic of Moldova, Sweden and Romania in the restoration of the Varnița site. For some reasons the project was not implemented. At the end of 2015, in the framework of the European CHOICE program (Cultural Heritage Opportunity For Improving Civic Engagement), Doctor in history Elena Ploșnița on behalf of the public association of Varnița developed and presented the project "Historical site Camp of Swedish King Charles XII at Varnița - development and promotion". This project aims to achieve several important goals: - Scientific and public development of the historical site and its introduction into the cultural and tourist use; - Conservation and museumification of the historical site, including the restoration of the monument to the King of Sweden; - An innovative interpretation of the cultural heritage of the historical site; - Mobilization of the local community in the protection of cultural heritage and strengthening the role of local public organizations in the process. The project received a grant and will be implemented in the period from April 2016 to April 2017.
List of illustrations: Fig. 1. Plan of the camp of the Swedish King Charles XII at Varnița drawn up by B. Eitner, 1840. Fig. 2. Monument to the Swedish king Charles XII at Varnița, 1932. Fig. 3. Monument to the Swedish king Charles XII at Varnița, 2015. Fig. 4. Archaeological research at Varnița, on the site of the camp of the Swedish King Charles XII, 1993. Fig. 5. Ceramic vessel discovered during archaeological excavations at Varnița in 1993.
Elena Ploșnița
On a museum exhibition “The Universe of Calendars”
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Elena Ploșnița
Dictionnaire encyclopedique de museologie, sour la direction d'Andre Desvallees et de Francois Mairesse, Paris: Armand Colin, 2011, 723 p. ISBN: 978-2-200-27037-7
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VI [XXI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Elena Ploșnița
Entrance ticket and museum marketing
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IX [XXIV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie Chișinău, 2015
Elena Ploșnița
The Country House of the Lazo Family at Piatra. Guidelines for the museumification
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XI [XXVI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Elena Ploșnița
Anniversary celebrations at the National Museum of History
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
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...
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.