Stefan Virgil Issarescu

What people wore

Massive 10 kg wedding shirt

A wedding shirt made for the Junii Brașovului was so elaborate that four women spent four months embroidering it with 40,000 sequins, weighing nearly 10 kg.

Getting around

Bucharest–Constanța: 4h 34m express

For an express train, the Bucharest–Constanța route (228 km) was done in 4 hours and 34 minutes.

At the table

Stuffed chicken as a luxury meal

Stuffed chicken was considered a luxurious delicacy prepared primarily for major life events, such as weddings and christenings.

Music

Four-day wedding musical traditions

In rural Romania, weddings were significant musical events lasting four days, featuring professional musicians such as Roma fiddlers who played for dances and accompanied ritual moments like the crowning of the bride.

Daily life

Early indoor water and baths

In 1901, Bucharest had only 5,000 water subscribers for a population of 300,000, and households were taxed based on the number of rooms rather than actual water usage. Early indoor bathrooms were considered such novelties that friends would visit specifically to admire them.

What it cost

Cost of a pair of boots

At the beginning of the 20th century, a pair of custom-made boots cost 10 to 11 lei, and by 1913, the price of a pair of men's boots rose to 15 lei.