The owners of such collections remind us that history
is not only inscribed in artifacts attributed to world leaders; it is also
found in things that seem ordinary, but which bring back to life the untold
stories of long-gone generations: a 12th-century Chinese iron used to iron
heavy silk kimonos, a late 19th-century camera in front of which
countless families smiled, excited by the festive moment of
going to the pho-to studio, or a corkscrew that transformed the gesture of
opening a bottle of wine into a ritual. These small symbols of history remain
alive in the world’s memory through the interest and curiosity of collectors,
and the Romanian Records Museum contributes to preserving history.
Phone collection
Includes over 500 pieces, many of them extremely rare. One
of them, the Butterstamp telephone with whistle, is among the first telephone
models produced. It is made of wood and brass, with a leather-covered handle
and was produced in 1878 in Stockholm by the L.M.Ericsson company, founded by
the Swedish inventor Lars Magnus Ericsson. The shape of this telephone suggests
that the transmitter and receiver were combined in the same unit and, therefore,
it was used for both listening and talking.
Camera Collection
The camera collection has a total of approximately 5,000
models of the most varied types: box, reflex, stereo, for photo studios, with
bellows, panoramic, folding etc. Some of them are extremely rare, but very
well preserved. Other devices related to the evolution of the image are also
exhibited, such as zoetropes, magic lanterns etc. This collection shows how the
technology of capturing images has evolved over time.
When they first appeared, cameras were heavy and had many accessories (plates, solutions, lenses, tripods), and their transportation was always a problem. This problem was solved in 1888 by George Eastman who launched the Kodak camera, a portable and lightweight box-type camera model that used a roll of celluloid film. Eastman’s famous slogan “You press the button, we do the rest” made the camera enormously popular among the general public.
Typewriter Collection
It includes approximately 500 models. The Ballpoint
typewriter is an extremely rare model, of which there are only four copies in
the world. The machine was designed in 1865 in Copenhagen by Rasmus
Malling-Hansen, director of an institute for people with hearing and speech
impairments. He designed this typewriter with the aim of helping students
“speak with their fingers”. The machine consisted of a hemisphere with 54
engraved alphanumeric keys, each with its own spring, mounted on three
nickel-plated columns with adjustment screws. Malling-Hansen arranged the
letters, numbers and symbols so that writing was as fast as possible: vowels
were operated with the fingers of the left hand, and consonants with those of
the right hand. Among the famous users of this invention was the German
philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.
Collection of irons
It was officially recognized by the Guinness Book of Records
on August 3, 2016, when the collection numbered 30,071 items. Over time, the
collection has grown steadily, currently exceeding 35,000 items.
The Locomotive-type iron is the most important piece of the
collection, being an extremely rare model, of which it is believed that only
two copies still exist in the world. This iron was patented on October 23, 1888
and has an extremely ingenious mechanism: an internal tank was filled with
liquid fuel, which flowed into the lower part of the iron where there is a
burner that can be ignited through the wheel region.
Corkscrew collection
It holds a world record, marked in the Guinness Book of
Records on June 18, 2015, when it totaled 23,965 pieces. Currently, the number
exceeds 30,000 corkscrews. The Corkscrew with mechanism, the most important
corkscrew in this collection, was made from pieces of metal and wood from the
old London Bridge (1176 - 1831). After its demolition, the recovered materials
were used to manufacture rare objects, including this corkscrew. The existence
of two other similar copies in the world is known. Proof of its authenticity is
also given by the inscription on the piece: “MADE FROM THE IRON SHOE THAT WAS
TAKEN FROM A PILE THAT WAS 656 YEARS IN THE FOUNDATION OF OLD LONDON BRIDGE BY
I. OVENSTON 72 GT TITCHFIELD ST LONDON”. A patent was obtained for this
corkscrew by Charles Orborne on January 1, 1839.
