1 June 2010

Bucuresti 1937

Scene superbe in Bucuresti, anul 1937. Foto Pragher. Lincoln-ul e absolut exceptional, precum si expresia tipului care se uita in vitrina...

Superb pictures of Bucharest in 1937, by Pragher. The Lincoln is great, as is the expression of the man looking through the shop window...


26 May 2010

Carpati 1939, Adler 1937

Cinci poze absolut exceptionale din arhivele orasului Freiberg, aratand o excursie prin Carpati spre Sinaia in octombrie 1939. Pozele sunt facute in cheia Bratocea de fotograful german Willy Pragher. Masina, proprietate personala, e un Adler 1.7-Liter Karmann din 1937. Poze color din Romania interbelica sunt FOARTE rare. Vizionare placuta!

Five absolutely exceptional pictures from the archives of Freiberg in Germany, showing a trip through the Carpathians to Sinaia in October 1939. They were taken in the Bratocea pass, by the German photographer Willy Pragher. His car is a Adler 1.7-Liter Karmann from 1937. Colour pictures of prewar Romania are VERY scarce. Enjoy these!




25 May 2010

Petrosani 1930

Piata in Petrosani in anii 30. De remarcat 1) arhitectura neo-romaneasca, foarte frumos realizata; 2) doua masini, din care cea din fata e celebrul Ford Model T, poreclit Ford "cu mustati" in Romania.



A market in Petrosani, in the 1930s. Note 1) the splendid neo-Romanian architecture; 20 the two cars, the first of which is the famous Model T ford, called the Ford "with whiskers" in Romanian.

20 May 2010

Menu ACR, Capsa, 1913

Menu pentru o seara la Capsa in onoarea corpului de automobilisti voluntari , 1913. De remarcat somptuozitatea mancarurilor, si faptul ca meniul, dfiind de unica folosinta, era practic desenat de mana. In acele vremuri Capsa era cotat hotelul nr. 8 din lume de unele reviste. Un "Atunci si acum" nu isi are rostul: desi intotdeauna am mancat bine acolo, clar nu e ce era. Poate nici ACR-ul...



Menu for a Romanian Automobile Club dinner in honour of the Volunteer Automobile Corps at Capsa, 1913. Note the sumptuous foods on offer, and the fact that the menu, essencially single-use, was beautifully decorated for the occasion. Back then, Capsa was rated by some magazines the number 8 hotel in the world. It's probably fair to say that, although I've always eaten well there, it's no longer what it was. (But, perhaps, neither is the Romanian Automobile Club...)

18 May 2010

Simca Aronde

Masina era de vanzare acum cativa ani. Desigur are o poveste fascinanta. Probabil era autoturismul personal apartinand unui personaj important sub comunism. Asta explica numarul cu trei cifre, si marca vestica. Pana rececnt erau multe masini similare in Bucuresti, masini care nu aveau ce cauta intr-o tara comunista dar, totusi, circulau prin capitala. Sper sa fi supravietuit!

This car was for sale a few yers ago. It almost defintiely has an interesting story behind it, probably being the private car of an important Party member, which is hinted at by the Western make and the three-digit license plate. Until recently, Bucharest had many such cars, whose presence may have been unexpected in a Communist country but which, nevertheless, drove up the capital's highways and byways regularly. I wonder if this one has survived!

Cooperativa Carosierilor / The Coachbuilders' Cooperative

In 1961.