The collection of the globe-trotter Dumitru Dan
Around the world on foot exhibition. The story of the 497 pairs of opinions was realized within the project of the same name, financed by a grant offered by Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and the Government of Romania, which took place between 2015-2016.
Around the world on foot exhibition. The story of the 497 pairs of opinions brings to the public's attention an unprecedented heritage, unique in the country, linked to the personality of the first Romanian globe-trotter, Dumitru Dan, a remarkable personality in the history of tourism whose performance is recorded in the Book of Records from 1985. The visitor is introduced in the atmosphere of the beginning of the 20th century when, on April 1, 1910, from Bucharest, Dumitru Dan together with 3 other young Romanians, Alexandru Pascu, Gheorghe Negreanu and Paul Pîrvu, set off on a journey around the world, accompanied by the shepherd dog, Harap .
Throughout the trip, the Romanian globe-trotters wore Romanian national costumes, broke 497 pairs of opinions and, in order to support themselves materially, held small conferences-shows performing Romanian poems, songs and dances in the big cities and capitals of the world, some of them real shows in which they displayed their multiple talents.
In the exhibition there are written in various foreign languages: documents (manuscript, typed, printed), articles published in the press about the visit of the globe-trotters in various cities of the world, show posters, illustrated postcards, theatrical contracts, photographs, as well as goods ethnographic, medallic and sigilography objects, badges and medals, cockades issued by aid societies that functioned within the Romanian communities in the United States of America, audio recordings of D. Dan from the 70s and documentary films, reconstructions made within project through EEA Grants funding.
Who was Dumitru Dan?
Dumitru Dan was born in Buhuşi on July 14, 1890 and died in Buzău on December 4, 1978. He was a geographer, geography teacher and Romanian traveler. He was one of the 7 children of Maria and Tudorache Dan, a church singer and a nurse. He finished primary school in Buhuşi, the Commercial High School in Brăila and the Faculty of Geography in Paris. He worked for 30 years as a geography teacher in Brăila and Buzău.
In the period 1910-1916, 1923 he took part in the contest organized by the Touring Club de France, a contest interrupted by the First World War and completed in 1923 in Paris, where he was awarded the prize and the title of world champion. He also traveled in the interwar period through Europe: in Italy (1924, 1927, 1930), Switzerland (1927), etc. His grave located in the Heroes' Cemetery in Buzău was renovated in October 2017 as a result of Gheorghe Dan's donation.
Dumitru Dan, the first Romanian globe-trotter, went on foot around the world together with 3 other colleagues, Alexandru Pascu, Gheorghe Negreanu, Paul Pârvu and they were accompanied almost 90,000 km by the shepherd dog Harap. The journey of the 4 young Romanians would take them on the meridians of the globe, meeting, at the beginning of the 20th century, various personalities, cultures, populations and facing all kinds of funny or downright dangerous situations. They crossed over 1,500 towns from 74 countries, on 5 continents, on foot, in opinci and in national costumes, they traveled thousands of kilometers on the deck of ships, breaking 497 pairs of opinci and 28 national costumes.
The entire thematic construction has as its main "voice" the accounts of the globe-trotter about this daring journey. The exhibition is engaging (auditory, visual, tactile, motor, even olfactory) and aims to highlight the importance of this long route on foot, the constant effort of the main character, Dumitru Dan, and the critical situations experienced by him. The exhibition has a narrative structure configured on 15 different themes and reproduces through dioramas some of the most difficult moments during the route. In the central area, the 4 personalized mannequins of the young globe-trotters are placed on the stage, thus recreating, in a show atmosphere, one of their moments of glory. The reconstruction was made starting from the only known photograph of the four Romanians, a photograph currently missing. In the hall, 497 pairs of opinci made by the folk craftsman Doina Mușat are also exhibited, to highlight the extraordinary physical effort, as well as the perseverance, will, physical resistance and extraordinary psycho-moral traits of the one who completed this journey around the world on foot.
Goods that belonged to Dumitru Dan are exhibited, most of them being documents from the trip, issued by prestigious institutions or personalities of the respective period: governors, mayors of large cities, presidents of states, etc. The exposition is completed with information about the most important moments from meetings with various peoples of the world, more or less friendly, with funny or dangerous incidents with natives and wild animals or other events experienced on various seas and oceans on board ships, incidents from ports and incidents of all kinds.
The exhibition aims to bring to the attention of the public the personality of Dumitru Dan and his unique sporting performance until that time, to highlight the role of "ambassador of Romania" and bearer of traditional Romanian values on all meridians of the globe, which he had at the beginning of the 20th century.
One of his most beautiful thoughts captures, perhaps best, the essence of this daring adventure: By traveling, getting as far as possible from the borders of the country and getting to know other peoples, you get to better understand the soul of your nation, Dumitru Dan said in 1978 .
Starting from the exhibition theme, interactive storytelling lessons Travel the globe and craft workshops Traditional sewn signs take place periodically in the hall. The exhibition was nominated for the awards of the European Academy of Museums in 2017 and has its own Dumitru Dan globe-trotter Facebook Page - Buzău County Museum Project, as well as the Dumitru Dan Globe-trotter YouTube channel.
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