The History of Romanian Pens. Petre Crăciun Collection

Exhibition: The History of Romanian Pens. Petre Crăciun Collection
Location: History Museum – the Altemberger House - ground floor of the tower-house (Sibiu, 2 Mitropoliei Street)
Duration: 4 May - 30 June 2023
Opening: Thursday, May 4, 2023, 1 p.m.
Curators: Adrian Georgescu, Sergiu-Mihail Chideșa

 On Thursday, May 4, at the Museum of History - the Altemberger House of the Brukenthal National Museum in Sibiu, will take place the opening of the exhibition "History of Romanian Pens. Petre Crăciun Collection". 

The exhibition - a real national premiere - offers the public 415 pieces, representing a unique collection of pens and other writing instruments, as well as documents from the interwar period until 1990.
200 pens produced by "Flamura Roșie" (Flaro) and "Archimet" County Industry Enterprise from Sibiu, as well as by two other manufacturers: "Chimica" from Cluj and "Drum Nou" from Bucharest can be seen in the exhibition. An important part of these models can only be admired in this collection.
Some of the pieces are reminiscent of the famous Siberian factory "Gratioza", which became "Flamura Roșie", through nationalization. An exhibit of great importance is an envelope produced by "Gratioza" for the Romanian Royal Family, being its supplier at that time. In 2022, the factory celebrated its 100 anniversary.
The "Artalith" factory also operated in Sibiu, producing "ink tanks" (pens) under the "Hardmuth Koh-I-Noor" license. In the exhibition will be seen, for the first time, two examples of the model "Hardmuth Scholar" which were certainly produced here.
The exhibition includes more than 30 different documents (photographs, ID cards, publications, posters, prints, etc.) and as many packaging models for pens produced in the 1950s and 1980s, some of them unique.
Those who will visit the exhibition will have the opportunity to see several copies of the famous "Flaro Dacia" model, the governmental pen, including the one with Nicolae Ceausescu's signature, thermally printed.
Other showcases are dedicated to school pens, office pens or pens made by craftsmen of old times, such as Ferdinand Tvers, the last great specialist in pen repairing in Romania.
Romanian writers also used pens produced in Romania. That's why a showcase displays pens used by Nicolae Manolescu, Ana Blandiana, Alex. Ștefănescu, Spiridon Vangheli and Petre Crăciun.
The pens dedicated by some major international pen companies to personalities or to Romania: Ilie Năstase (Montegrappa), King Michael I – Royal Edition (Pelikan), "Romania - E.U. 2007" (Montegrappa), "Romania - Presidency of the European Council 2019" (Poenari).

In his book "History and catalog of Romanian pens", Petre Crăciun has presented in detail all the Romanian pen models included in the exhibition. The volume can be bought from the museum, between May 4th and June 30th.