A set of slides taken by an American architect in 1986, showing a very depressing Bucharest. The colours are muted, the streets deserted, the people inelegant. Cars are generally Dacias, although we can see a Fiat 1800, a Renault "Gordini" and, most unusually, a Mercedes Cobra. The last photo, taken from the same angle fifteen years previously (by Willy Pragher) shows how much things have changed.
file din istoria auto în România --- fragments from Romania's automotive history
19 June 2013
Poze deprimante din Bucurestiul anului 1986 / Depressing Bucharest pictures from 1986
O serie de diapozitive surprinse de un architect American in 1986. De remarcat cat de deprimant arata Bucurestiul. Culorile sunt amarate, strazile pustii, lumea lipista de eleganta. Masinile sunt in mod general Dacia, desi remarcam un Fiat 1800, un Renault Gordini si - cel mai special - un Mercedes Cobra. Ultima poza,
surprinsa cu 15 ani inainte in 1971 din acelasi unghi (de Willy Pragher), arata cat de cat diferenta.
A set of slides taken by an American architect in 1986, showing a very depressing Bucharest. The colours are muted, the streets deserted, the people inelegant. Cars are generally Dacias, although we can see a Fiat 1800, a Renault "Gordini" and, most unusually, a Mercedes Cobra. The last photo, taken from the same angle fifteen years previously (by Willy Pragher) shows how much things have changed.
A set of slides taken by an American architect in 1986, showing a very depressing Bucharest. The colours are muted, the streets deserted, the people inelegant. Cars are generally Dacias, although we can see a Fiat 1800, a Renault "Gordini" and, most unusually, a Mercedes Cobra. The last photo, taken from the same angle fifteen years previously (by Willy Pragher) shows how much things have changed.
Very interesting. I love your blog! I've always wondered why Eastern Europe, and specially Romania, look so much grim and sad in the 80's than just 10 or 15 years before. Is it a mix of lack of maintenance, increased polution and poverty?
ReplyDeleteThat - plus the fact that Romania in the 60s and early 70s was a lot more open to the West, and didn't have severe rationing. Life could genuinely be pretty good, especially in the big cities; in the 80s it generally wasn't, even for the (relatively) wealthy middle classes. I think it would also have been a generational thing - in the 60s and 70s there were a lot more people around from the prosperous interwar days, who had seen other days and "knew better". Glad you like the blog by the way!
ReplyDeleteWell, the weather is bleak and the photos are notably bluish too. Can't compare the photos
ReplyDeletesuperbe. o fila de istorie.
ReplyDeleteDe ce sunt deprimante?ca nu-s multe masini?
ReplyDeleteEra sfirsitul iernii sau inceputul primaverii. Din acest motiv strazile nu sint prea populate iar atmosfera e cenusie. Daca pozele ar fi fost facute in iulie sau in august 1986, ar fi aratat cu totul altfel, in ciuda faptului ca, intr-adevar, anii '80 au fost cea mai grea perioada a dictaturii comuniste.
ReplyDeleteCeea ce vreau sa spun e ca un soare stralucitor si multi oameni si multe masini pe strazi (din motive evidente, vara, strazile sint mult mai populate) ar fi fost suficiente pentru a schimba complet atmosfera.
ReplyDeleteOricum, pozele sint foarte interesante. Chiar daca nu comentez prea des, urmaresc blogul si cred ca e cel mai interesant blog dedicat masinilor clasice din intreaga blogosfera, pentru ca e axat pe poze vechi. Pe multe bloguri intilnesti poze cu masini clasice, dar sint facute in zilele noastre. Numai acest blog e dedicat in exclusivitate pozelor de epoca. Acest lucru si multitudinea pozelor fac ca blogul sa fie cel mai interesant din blogosfera. E o realizare de mare cultura. Fiecare articol e o incintare. Multumesc, Adrian!
Foarte interesant. Imi aduc aminte de copilarie. Pozele, din cauza vremii, sunt deprimante, dar nici azi nu vezi prea multa stralucire intr-o zi de iarna sau sfarsit de iarna, dupa cum pare surprins in poze.
ReplyDeleteImi aduc aminte ca era o viata foarte calma, prea calma, ascunzand necazurile zilnice. Ratia de benzina nu prea lasa oamenilor ocazii sa se plimbe. Stiu ca tatal meu facea stoc de benzina intr-o haita de canistre: de la cele mici, de 10l si pana la cele de 25l, avea mereu un stoc de 80-100l si ca sa obtina benzina dadea la schimb pachete de Kent primite de la rudele de peste hotare.