The Prints and Imprints collection plays an important part within the Bucharest Municipality Museum’s patrimonial heritage, through its elements’ historical and artistic relevance. The collection features 7664 pieces.
There are varied lithographs and engravings, interesting fragments of a bygone era, particularly from the 19th century. The works bearing the signatures of C. Doussault, A. Raffet, M. Bouquet, Lancelot, Kaufmann, Rohbock, Sandmann and C. P. de Szathmari are of particular interest.
The works present architectonic features through the portrayal of buildings such as churches and inns: Colței Tower, Bucur Church, the Radu-Voda Monastery, the Mihai Voda Complex, Filaret Hill, the Greek Inn and Church, Manuc Inn and the Stavropoleos Church. The social typology is also present through depictions of national garb, ways of living, professional occupations and traditional customs: a Wallachian boyar, a Wallachian Lady, Peasant man and peasant woman from around Bucharest, Bucur the Shepherd, Smithy, Peasant with wine, Halvița maker (halvița being a traditional dessert made of walnuts, sugar and egg whites) and Butcher’s shop and Bakery in Bucharest.
The pieces also illustrate historical aspects of their time, through facial depictions of rulers and Voivodes (a Slavic term used to denote a leader), such as Michael the Brave, Vlad the Impaler, Radu Negru Basarab, Stephen the Great, Gh. Bibescu, Gh. Magheru, Alexander I. Cuza) as well as portrayals of details from battles and events the aforementioned figures took part in: the Battle of Rahova, the Conquest of Grivița, the Fall of Plevna, the Solemn opening of the 1857 ad-hoc Divan, the Proclamation of the Romanian Kingdom, the Opening of the National Chamber by Alexander I. Cuza on February 29th 1860.
These works have preserved aspects and portrayals of Bucharest as well as other Romanian cities.
The collection also encompasses a variety of prints and imprints such as: theatre posters and programs, Opera, cinema and concert brochures and newspaper clippings referring to figures or events of the time, lottery tickets, musical sheets, calling cards of figures such as C. A. Rosetti, Lascăr Catargiu, I.C. Brătianu, Alexander Lahovari and Dr. G. Severeanu. Aside from portraits of various figures of the time there are also imprints featuring proclamations and other such documents: the Proclamation and degree issued for the population of Bucharest on June 12th 1848, Statistic record of Bucharest’s population in 1831, the Proclamations of Gh. Magheru issued on September 14th 1848, the Proclamation of Minister C.A. Rosetti issued on August 25th 1848 and Call towards Bucharest dwellers issued by Mayor D. Brătianu on April 9th 1866.
