La munte, 1963 / In the mountains, 1936

Turisti din Elvetia, cu un Mercedes "Ponton", la munte in 1963. La inceputul anilor 60, Romania a avut o mare deschidere catre turisti din occident, care au venit cu miile, multi in masina. Majoritatea, totusi, stateau in statiuni care erau pe circuitul turistic si supra-organizate - putini ar fi avut experienta din poza!

Tourists from Switzerland, with a Mercedes "Ponton", in the mountains in 1963. The early 1960s was when Romania began to open up to tourists from the West, thousands of whom visited every year, many by car. Most, however, didn't venture beyond the well-organised and touristy resorts and few would have been as adventurous as this!

Sarbatori fericite! / Merry Christmas!

DK, Adler, Ford, etc. Foto Pragher, 1940.

Sarbatori fericite oriunde va aflati!

A Merry Christmas wherever you may be!

Parada oficiala in 1956 / Parade in 1956

Din fototeca arhivelor nationale din fosta Iugoslavie (link), un set de imagini cu o vizita oficiala, in Bucuresti si Ploiesti, in 1956. Personajele sunt Tito si nevasta sa, Jovanka. Poze cu coloanele oficiale in anii 60 si 70 sunt destul de commune, dar e prima oara cand vad ceva din anii 50.

Masinile sunt in majoritate sovietice: GAZ-12 ZIM si ZIS-110, dar pe langa ele sunt doua modele Chevrolet, model 1954. Tot de origine americana e decapotabila in care se pozeaza Jovanka Broz - un Chrysler din 1953. Nu ar fi  fost extrem de impresionata: Tito avea masini mult mai fabuloase, inclusiv un Rolls Royce Phantom.

Interesant numarul 101 pe masina de sef de stat...

From the photographic archives of the former Yugoslavia (link), a set of images showing an official visit to Bucharest and Ploiesti in 1956. The characters are Tito and his wife, Jovanka. Motorcade photos from the 60s and 70s are relatively common, but this is the first time I have seen any from the 1950s.

The cars are generally of Soviet origin - GAZ-12 ZIM and ZIS-110, but alongside them appear two 1954 Chevrolets. Also American is the convertible in which Jovanka Broz is being photographed: a Chrysler from 1953.  She wouldn't have been especially impressed - Tito had far more exciting cars including a Rolls Royce Phantom.

The registration plate "101" on the head of state vehicle is interesting...