Samoilă Mârza was a photographer born in 1886 who immortalized the important moments of Romania's Great Union in 1918, including photographing the ceremony in Alba Iulia where the Union was finalized. As the only photographer to capture these historic events, Mârza made five photographs of the Grand National Assembly in Alba Iulia using an old bellows camera. Although his work was historically significant, Mârza lived in poverty and continued using the same old camera for 60 years. He died in 1967, leaving many projects unfinished.

1. Samoilă Mârza-the almost unknown story
of the only photographer of the Great
Union
Gresoi Mariana - MIEADR IMAPA,
Group 8212
University of Agronomic Sciences
and Veterinary Medicine of
Bucharest, Romania

2. Samoilă Mârza-the almost unknown story of the
only photographer of the Great Union
The great
moments of the Great
Union in 1918 were
immortalized.
Although it may seem
hard to believe, the
merit belongs to one
man named Samoila
Mârza. He made both
photographs of the
moments of the Great
Union and other
major events of
Romania's recent
history.

3. Samoilă Mârza was
born on September 18,
1886, Sântimbru, Alba
County, in a peasant family.
He attended six primary
classes at the "Romanian
Confessional People's
School" in his native village,
followed by the high school
in Alba Iulia. On November
14, 1918, in Vienna, he
made three photographs
that immortalized the
sanctification of the first
tricolor flag of the
Romanian National Military
Council, in the presence of
General Boeriu, of Iuliu
Maniu and of the other
Romanian militaries.

4. On 1 December 1918,
Samoila Mârza leaves on a
bicycle, taking the bellows
camera at Alba Iulia at the Great
National Assembly. It is worth
mentioning that Samoila Mârza
did not have an entrance permit
and consequently was not
accepted in the Union Hall, for
the ceremony being hired a
German photographer who, for
unknown reasons, did not
attend the meeting.
Samoilă Mârza made only
five photos with images from
the Grand National Assembly.
Two were made from the
official stands where the Union
Act was read before the Great
National Council and the
people, by Dr. Aurel Vlad and
the Greek-Catholic Bishop Iuliu
Hossu.

5. In 1919, Samoilă Mârza published the photos in the
album "The Great Assembly of Alba Iulia in Faces", which
was also reviewed by the newspaper "Alba Iulia" in the
March 10th issue of the same year.
As a supplier of the Royal House in 1919, the
photographer captured King Ferdinand's visit to Alba Iulia,
Abrud and Câmpeni in 1919, and on October 22, 1922 he
photographed the crowning of King Ferdinand and Queen
Maria at the Orthodox Cathedral in Alba-Iulia.

6. Although his work was of great historical
importance, photographer Samoilă Mârza has
always lived close to poverty, proof that for
almost 60 years he used the same old camera
with which he had immortalized the events of
1 December 1918.

7. He died on December 19, 1967, leaving many
projects unfinished, such as the celebration of the
1968 semicentenary of the Union. In 2003, in his
native village, Galtiu, a sculpture by Narcis
Dumitru Bortes was unveiled and the volume "
Samoilă Mârza - 1886-1967 - The Photographer of
the Union of Transylvania with Romania "

8. References
 https://editiadedimineata.ro/samoila-marza-
povestea-aproape-nestiuta-a-singurului-fotograf-al-
marii-uniri/
 momenteistorice.ro
 rri.ro
 https://ro.wikipedia.org