Cu Benz in Transilvania, c. 1920 / Transylvania by Benz, c. 1920

Pentru cel de-al 200-lea post, am pregatit ceva cu totul exceptional, din arhivele unei facultati americane.

Aceste poze surprind o calatorie in Transilvania imediat dupa primul razboi mondial, probabil in perioada 1919-1921. Calatorii si masinile sunt din Ungaria. Amandoua masini sunt marca Benz, de prin 1911, adica relativ invechite pentru acele vremuri, cand automobilele aveau o scurt durata de viata, mai ales in familiile instarite. Automobilismul in acea perioada era o adevarata aventura, si pozele documenteaza o parte din peripetiile pionierilor.

Vizionare placuta!

For my 200th post I thought I'd prepare something really spectacular drawn from the arcives of an American university.

These images show a journey to Transylvania immediately after World War 1, probably in the 1919-1921 period. The cars and the passengers are Hungarian. The make of both cars is Benz, circa 1911; this makes them relatively old for a period when cars generally had short lifespans, especially in wealthy families. Motoring in that era was a true adventure, and these photos bring out the flavour of intrepid exploration.

Happy viewing!

Poza centenara / Centenarian photograph

Aceasta poza, veche de 100 de ani, dateaza din 1913 si surprinde un domn bucurestean cu masina sa. Nu sunt expert in masinile mai vechi de 1930, si va trebui sa apelez la experti sa aflu ce marca e, dar in acea perioada, in Romania, marcile mentesti si frantuesti erau cele mai populare, marcile americane venind la putere numai dupa primul razboi mondial. Numere Bc semnificau Bucuresti, nu Bacau, in acea perioada. Pana la primul razboi mondial se ajunsese la peste 1000-Bc. Interesant, exista o poza [jos] cu masina inregistrata precedent, adica 491-B, desi e pe o masina mult mai moderna. Numerele erau emise catre proprietar, nu catre masina, deci atundci cand se schumba masina era foarte posibil ca numarul sa ramana la fel. Adica, daca aveai numarul mai mic, insemna ca erai in avangarda propretarilor de automobile. Ma intreb daca aceasa idea, redolenta de snobism burghez, a contribuit la cultul "numerelor mici" din epoca comunista. 492-B cred ca a fost emis prima data prin 1910; automobilul, la fel.

This hundred year-old photo was taken in 1913 and shows a Bucharest man with his car. I'm no expoert in pre-1930 vehicles, so any experts will have to help me; all I know is that in pre-WW1 Romania, French and German makes were most popular, American cars only becoming frequent on the roads after 1919. The Bc plates meant Bucharest in that period. Until WW1, at least 1000 cars had been reigstered in the capital. Interestingly, there exists a picture [below] of the number plate registered previously, 491-B, on a far more modern car. The reason was that the plates were given to the owner and not the car. When the car changed, the number would remain the same. That meant that families with a low-numbered plate could pride themselves on having been very early vehicle owners. I wonder if this rather petty snobbery contributed to the Communist-era obsession of having low-numered plates. This particular one would have been issued around 1910, and the car looks of a similar era.

Acum 90 de ani / Ninety years ago

Recent pe okazii a aparut aceasta carte postala, care se spune ca ar fi circa 1920, aratand un superb automobil in Olanesti. E una din cele mai detaliate vederi din Romania cu o masina. Marca imi e necunoscuta dar pare a fi un phaeton de prin 1910. Din pacate vanzatorul vrea 80 Euro deci nu va face parte din colectie!

Recently, on the okazii auction site, this splendid postcard, apparently circa 1920, with a vintage car in Olanesti appeared. This is one of the most detailed shots of a car on a Romanian postcard of that era. The car itself is a mystery but looks to be a circa 1910 phaeton. Sadly the owner wants 80 Euros for it so I won't be buying!

Bucuresti, acum 98 ani / Bucharest, 98 years ago

Courtesy of Radu Oltean, o poza fascinanta aratand soseaua Stefan cel Mare in 1913. Nu stiu ce marci de masina sunt in poza; un pasionat englez spune ca una ar putea sa fie Laurin & Klement Typ F. Chestia ciudata este ca toate par sa aiba parbrize foarte similare, de un model rar intalnit in acea perioada. In 1913 existau cam 1,000 masini pe tinutul Romaniei, deci o poza cu atatea autoturisme e de-a drept exceptionala.
Courtesy of Radu Oltean, a fascinating phot showing Stefan cel Mare Way in 1913. I have no idea what makes are in the picture; one English expert suggests Laurin & Klement Typ F. Interestinlgly, the windscreens all seem to be the same, of a type rarely found in that era. In 1913 there were 1000 cars in all Romania - so a picture showing so many of them is downright exceptional.

Motociclisti veterani / Veteran motorcyclists

Recunosc ca nu stiu prea multe nici despre armata romana, nici despre motociclete. Tot ce pot sa spun e ca motocicleta e un Harley si era inregistrata in Piatra Neamt. Numarul e unul civil, motocicleta pare a fi de prin 1915 (viz poza unui model din 1915), restul ... ? Astept pareri.

Ca fapt divers, in judetul Neamt inca mai exista ramasitele unei motociclete cu atas "din 1923". Din pacate e atat de degradata incat nu se poate spune ce marca era, iar proprietarul, vanzator de mobila veche in zona Targu Neamt, nu pare a fi interesat de soarta ei, fiind aproape ascunsa de buruieni. Totusi ce ramane arata mai vechi decat o motocicleta din perioada razboiului (care sunt mult mai comune in Romania), incat poate, poate, varsta venerabila de 87 ani data ramasitelor e corecta.



I must admit I know very little about either motorcycles or the Romanian army; all I can say is that this is a Harley from the Piatra Neamt region. The numberplate is civil; the bike itself looks circa 1915 (see modern photo); the rest, I have no idea...

Interestingly, in the region there is still a motorbike and sidecar allegedly dating from 1923. Sadly the remains are so far gone that it's impossible to tell even what make it is. The owner, an antique furniture dealer from around Targu Neamt, does not seem too interested about it, leaving it covered by weeds in front of a warehouse. However, from what I sa of the remains it does indeed look a little older than WW2 bikes, many of which survive in Romania. Possibly, therefore, the remains are indeed from 1923.

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...)