The item presented here is a fragment of the bituminous surface coming from the Józef Piłsudski bridge in Kraków. A steel structure mounted on the bridge was adorned with a bronze inscription reading “Limbit Polmin”, which was both the name of the product and of its builder. Polmin Państwowa Fabryka Olejów Mineralnych w Drohobyczu, operating in the area of the Borysław-Drohobycz Oil Basin (now a part of Ukraine), was established in 1909 as a crude oil refinery. In the 1920s and 1930s, Polmin was one of the world’s largest and most modern enterprises of its kind. It offered a wide range of crude oil fraction distillation and derivative products. One such product was a bituminous surface patented by the refinery and named Limbit. It consisted of kerosene-derived asphalt mixed with crushed dolomite rock. The Józef Piłsudski bridge was built between 1926-1933 on the extension of Krakowska and Legionów Józefa Piłsudskiego streets. It was to replace the Podgórski bridge, which was located nearby. Construction work was managed by Prof. Andrzej Pszenicki, and the project was executed by several companies: Zjednoczone Fabryki Maszyn, Kotłów i Wagonów L. Zieleniewski and Fitzner-Gamper SA, who were responsible for the characteristic lattice design of the bridge; Huta Pokój steelworks in Ruda Śląska, which supplied the metal railings; and Polmin, which supplied the pavement surface on either side of the bridge. The item presented here was installed on the bridge from the very beginning and was embedded in the pavement on the Podgórze side.

References:
Polmin Państwowa Fabryka Olejów Mineralnych w Drohobyczu, Warsawa 1927, book available in the “Polona” virtual library, at: https://polona.pl/item/polmin-panstwowa-fabryka-olejow-mineralnych-w-drohobyczu,NzM3OTU0NzQ/15/#info:metadata (Accessed: 9.05.2021).
Most Piłsudskiego, Museum of Urban Engineering in Kraków website, https://www.mim.krakow.pl/most-pilsudskiego (Accessed 9.05.2021).

A bellows-type gas meter is the most popular type of device for measuring the volume of gas flowing through it. It is used in cases where a provider of gas needs to bill an individual user or small enterprise that consumes it. The design of this type of gas meter works as follows: two bellows alternately fill with gas and transfer their reciprocal motion through a servomechanism. This motion is converted to a rotary movement of the drum counter mechanism, which is used for metering the fuel consumption. The limited throughput of the device prevents it from being used for measurements on an industrial scale. This can be resolved by using turbine gas meters, in which a moving piece (usually a small fan) is propelled by the difference between the gas pressure upstream and downstream of the gas meter. Manometric gas meters are also used in industry: they have a n orificein the flowing stream of fuel, causing a measurable difference in the pressure between the inlet and outlet of the device.
The bellows-type gas meter presented here was built by the Polish PoWoGaz company – Poznańska Fabryka Wodomierzy i Gazomierzy – which had been in operation without interruption since 1925 when it was established as the Water Meter Repair Workshop of the Poznań Water Supply Network. Over the years the enterprise was enlarged and the scope of its production extended to offer devices related to water pipelines, gas supply and heating. The high quality of products is evidenced by the company receiving a Gold Medal at the National Exhibition in Poznań in 1929. Now, after ownership transformations, this Poznań-based manufacturer is part of the Apator group.
Interesting fact: A gas meter monitoring the flow of gas is not the only type of device that allows a provider to bill consumers of the fuel. There were also coin-operated devices, which only opened the gas valve after a coin or a token was inserted which allowed a fixed quantity of gas to be received. There were also special coupons that made it possible to pay for a certain quantity of gas in advance.

References:
Gazomierze w sieci virtual exhibition, Wirtualne Muzeum Gazownictwa, https://wmgaz.pl/wirtualne-wystawy/gazomierze-w-sieci (Accessed: 9.05.2021).
Świat się zmienia, my to widzimy, a presentation by Apator Powogaz, Poznań 26.10.2012, available at: https://www.kierunekwodkan.pl/Resources/art/5344/bmp_508e782577d29.pdf (Accessed: 9.05.2021).
A price list of Apator products 2017, nr 02/2017, available at: https://hvacpr.pl/cenniki/zalaczniki/40 (Accessed: 9.05.2021).

The Rytm electrical gramophone was developed in response to the growing needs of the musical market in terms of devices for the playback of gramophone records. They grew in importance in the wake of the thaw and cultural changes after the period of heavy-handed Stalinist indoctrination of Poland in the early 1950s. The Rytm is one of early examples of devices of this type designed in the post-war period. The T-4 factory (later: Łódzkie Zakłady Radiowe Fonica) was selected to be the national leader in the production of gramophones in the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1950s that position was not yet allocated, and the companies that became part of the Zjednoczenie Przemysłu Elektronicznego i Teletechnicznego Unitra in 1961 were still in the process of defining the profile of their production.
The Rytm is an effect of that search. It was developed at the facilities of the Hipolit Cegielski Poznań plant. In 1949, the factory was nationalised, and its name changed to Zakłady Metalowe im. Józefa Stalina in Poznań (ZISPO). Production and sales of the gramophone began on the cusp of 1956 and 1957. During the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union on 24 – 25 February 1956, in a closed session, Nikita Khrushchev gave a secret presentation disclosing the crimes and abuses of Stalin. On March 12, Bolesław Bierut died, who was responsible for implementation of Stalin’s policies in Poland. On June 28, three days of riots began in Poznań – widely known as the “Poznań June” – which were initiated by workers of the ZISPO production plant who demanded “freedom and bread”. Even though the protests were violently quelled they became symptomatic of the mood among the public. On November 1, the name ZISPO was changed to Zakłady Przemysłu Metalowego H. Cegielski in Poznań, Przedsiębiorstwo Państwowe (Eng.: state-owned enterprise).
Enclosed in a veneer wood housing, without a built-in amplifier, the tabletop Rytm gramophone slides out of its body on the lowering of a semi-circular front cover – hence its nickname of the “bread box”. ZISPO was responsible for the production of the drive mechanism and for the assembly of the device. Over different periods, three types of adapter arms were used, each subsequently replaced by a better design. Chronologically, they were the adapters of the Poznańskie Zakłady Przemysłu Muzycznego Muza Poznań, the ZISPO adapters with a dual-needle cartridge, and the most numerous GD-56 adapters made by the Łódzkie Zakłady Radiowe T-4, with their arms made of Bakelite. The latter is installed in the presented unit. Apart from the tabletop version, the gramophone was also produced in a suitcase form, with a housing that could differ in shape, materials used and finish.

Author: Filip Wróblewski

The Majestic was manufactured by one of the largest Polish pre-War radio companies – the Towarzystwo Radiotechniczne Elektrit from Vilnius, operating between 1925-1939. Initially it operated as a shop specialising in sales of imported radios and radio parts. The profile of the company’s activities was extended in 1927 when it launched its own radios. The company was established by Samuel and Hirsz Chwoles and Nachman Lewin.
The Majestic receiver makes design references to designs of 1933-1935, when the vertical layout of the housing was en vogue, and when square drum scales, made of hard celluloid, were introduced. In the Majestic, the scale is backlit in three-colour light, and a magnifying glass is used to improve viewing. On the side wall of the receiver box there is a marking from a confiscation in the period of Nazi occupation, when the possession of and listening to a radio was punishable by death. The receiver uses one of the early types of tuning indicators, that is, in the form of a magnetic electric arrow gauge. In older designs of radio devices a neon indicator was used – a so-called light ruler – and later models used an electron ray tube tuning indicator, the so-called “magic eye”.
The Majestic is one of seven models of the Jubilee radio receivers, marketed in the 1935-1936 season. The annual change in the product range was caused by the peculiarities of the production cycle. Assembly was done in the period from late autumn to early spring, with a break in the summer when engineers designed new models. Such an arrangement resulted in the annual firing of the workforce without a guarantee of re-employment. Seasonal production, however, was necessitated by the existence of strong competition on a radio receiver market dominated by foreign manufacturers (Philips, Marconi, Telefunken). In order to increase sales, different models of Elektrit radios were manufactured in different type versions: B – battery-powered, Z – AC-powered, and U – DC-powered. This division was accompanied by the progressive pricing of models, from economical to exclusive versions. The Majestic was in the latter category. In 1935, it cost 675 zlotys, when a receiver made by Elektrit, the Kontinent, cost 180 zlotys. The average monthly salary at the time was 102 zlotys for a worker, and 280 zlotys for a white-collar worker.

Authors: Piotr Turowski, Filip Wróblewski

A hydrant is a device that has been used in Europe and Asia since the 18th century to provide access to water directly from the mains supply. Its primary purpose is to provide water to firefighters in the event of fire, but it can also sometimes help cool down city dwellers on hot days, as was the case in 1896 in New York City. Hydrants can be external (street hydrants) or internal (used in buildings). The latter come as boxes with a wound hose and a valve connected to the mains water inside the building. An external hydrant always has a cut-off valve and an outlet that allows a receiving hose to be connected, usually via a quick-release or Storz connector. Street hydrants are also divided into above-ground designs, in which the valve and outlet are fully raised above street level (this type is often used in the United States), and underground hydrants that are enclosed in a metal box, with the connector and valve installed inside, and protected by a cover placed flush with the surface. In principle, underground hydrants are installed in locations where there is a risk of water freezing in the above-ground parts of the device.
The cast iron hydrant box presented here was cast in Leopold Taubman’s Płaszowska Odlewnia Żelaza i Metali, situated in Kraków, on Wielicka street. This entrepreneur was also the owner of the Fabryka Gipsu Płaszów gypsum factory.
Interesting fact: The abrupt closing of a hydrant can cause the “water hammer” effect to occur in the water supply network, which can damage pipes and connected devices. The effect is caused by a sudden increase in pressure due to a sudden stopping of the water flow.

References:
Pipes – Wood, Page “The History of Sanitary Sewers”, http://www.sewerhistory.org/photosgraphics/pipes-wood/ (Accessed: 7.05.2021).
Spis abonentów Państwowej Sieci Telefonicznej Okręgu Krakowskiego Dyrekcji Poczt i Telegrafów wraz z siecią P. A. S. T. w Zagłębiu Dąbrowskiem. Według stanu z dnia 1 stycznia 1929, Kraków 1929, a scan of the publication is available at: http://www.mtg-malopolska.org.pl/images/skany/telefon_1929/telefon_1929.pdf (Accessed: 7.05.2021).

The bellows-type gas meter is the most popular type of device for measuring the volume of gas flowing through it. It is used in situations where the provider of gas needs to bill a user for the gas consumed and is usually scaled in cubic metres. It is a device that has been in use since the early 19th century and is usually installed on the premises of individual clients and small enterprises. The gas meter is made of two bellows that alternately fill with gas and transfer their reciprocal movement via a servomechanism to a drum counter mechanism, which allows a the consumption of the blue fuel to be read. Depending on the size of the device and the maximum throughput, there are different classes of bellows-type gas meters. The devices of this type produced today are often additionally equipped with an electronic device to monitor consumption and facilitate meter reading by the gas supplier. Apart from the bellows-type gas meters, there are also orifice and turbine metres, typically used in industrial applications where ithigher volume of the fuel must be delivered in a short time. The bellows-type gas meter presented here was built by the German Vesta, Apparate- und Metallwarenfabrik GmbH company that operated between 1901-1937 and manufactured metal products for the German market and for export, including to the USA.

References:
Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office, Washington D.C. 1910, p. 159.
Gazomierze w sieci virtual exhibition, Wirtualne Muzeum Gazownictwa, https://wmgaz.pl/wirtualne-wystawy/gazomierze-w-sieci (Accessed: 9.05.2021).

The Mikrus MR300 design was developed in 1957 by a team of designers from the Transport Equipment Factories in Mielec and Rzeszów. Its design made use of an existing model, the German Goggomobil T250 microcar manufactured by Hanns Glass GmbH. The Mikrus had a monocoque body and independent suspension of each wheel. It was propelled by a two-cylinder, two-stroke Mi300 engine designed especially for this vehicle and placed at the rear. In terms of the solutions adopted, just like the Goggomobil, the Mikrus was a miniature version of a passenger car without the use of any motorcycle parts. The design was highly simplified and consisted only of a speedometer with an odometer, control lights, an ignition switch with a starter motor switch, and a spare wheel. The complete, ready-to-drive structure weighed only 472 kg. The body has an interesting monocoque structure, built with the help of aviation technologies.
The Mikrus was designed to carry two adults and two children. Its design was intended to enable cheap, mass production, ensure ease of operation and low running costs, and contribute to the spread of individual motoring in Poland by virtue of being an inexpensive substitute for a passenger car. In practice, in 1958 its price was around 50,000 zlotys, which was the equivalent of about 50 average salaries. In a country still recovering from the damage of war and struggling with many shortages, this price was prohibitive and made it inaccessible to the wider population.
Due to the car’s high manufacturing cost and unreliability, production was discontinued in 1959: some 1728 vehicles were manufactured. The unit presented here was the first to be included in the inventory of the Museum of Urban Engineering. It was acquired in 1999.

Apart from orifice and turbine meters, the bellows-type meter is the most popular type of device used to measure the volume of gas flowing through it in situations where a provider needs to bill an individual receiver for the gas they use. The device was patented in 1815 by Samuel Clegg of Great Britain, who worked in the gas production industry. Gas meters were initially used mainly in industrial facilities that needed gas for production purposes and came to be used in households as different types of domestic gas appliances became widespread. Its name comes from the bellows found inside it. The bellows have a known capacity and as they fill with gas, they allow the amount taken from the network to be measured. The movement of the bellows is transmitted to a counter mechanism (or one with a gauge, as is the case here) through a servomechanism, thereby allowing gas consumption to be measured. The bellows gas meter presented here was produced by the German Kromschröder AG company which was established in Osnabrück in1865 as a joint stock company. The company specialised in the production of gas meters and a wide range of farming equipment under the Kromag brand. The company established branches in several cities, including Wrocław, where the device shown here was manufactured. The company is still in operation today. This item worked in Wschowa in Lublin province, as evidenced by the plaque installed by the local gas provider.
Interesting fact: for bellows gas meters made in Germany, the maximum throughput was often expressed as the number of flames. In the case of this particular device, the rating of “20 flames” is equivalent to a throughput of 3 m3/h.

References:
K. Dreyer, Kromschröder, “Geschichte der Landtechnik” blog,
http://www.landtechnik-historisch.de/historische-landmaschinen/kromschroeder-ag/ (Accessed: 9.05.2021).
Gazomierze w sieci virtual exhibition, Wirtualne Muzeum Gazownictwa, https://wmgaz.pl/wirtualne-wystawy/gazomierze-w-sieci (Accessed: 9.05.2021).