The elements of the Endless Column, the masterpiece of the great modern sculptor Constantin Brancusi, were cast at the Central Workshops in the municipality of Petrosani, with the support of engineer Stefan Georgescu-Gorjan, and the Mining Museum in town preserves evidence and objects connected to this story.

Museum curator Marian Boboc told AGERPRES that the operation was directly supervised by Brancusi, who, during the works in 1937, lived in the house of engineer Georgescu-Gorjan and went daily to the workshops in Petrosani.

Testimonies to this endeavour, which happily combined art and industry, can nowadays be seen at the Mining Museum in Petrosani, on a large display panel presenting the history of the operation, the names of those who worked there, various technical data and archive photographs.

'The story is linked to the name of engineer Stefan Georgescu-Gorjan, who in the winter of 1934 arrived in Paris and met Brancusi in his studio. In January 1935, there and by mutual agreement, they decided that he would help Brancusi in his artistic endeavour. Brancusi said he had this project but lacked support,' explained Mining Museum curator Marian Boboc.

According to him, Georgescu-Gorjan told Brancusi that he could come to Petrosani, where he was working as chief engineer at the Central Workshops of the Petrosani Mining Company.

'Two years later, in 1937, Brancusi came to Petrosani and lived in engineer Gorjan's house, a residence which unfortunately no longer exists. It was located somewhere in the centre of Petrosani, but there are no old buildings left there now. From there, every day, Brancusi went to the Central Workshops in Petrosani, as they were not very far away, where he supervised the works - we even have a photograph of him there,' the curator added.

Casting the elements began in September 1937 and lasted about a month and a half.

'Here, on a panel, we have the entire history of this casting. On 14 September the manufacture of the central pillar began, the steel coming from Resita. Then, between 16 September and 20 October, the cast iron modules were cast, and in the second half of October the first transports took place from Petrosani to Targu Jiu. The transport was carried out using lorries belonging to local contractors who probably had commercial relations with the Petrosani Company. They were certainly transported by lorry and not, as legend has it, by ox cart,' the curator was keen to point out.

Technical data show that the brass coating of the Column was carried out on site by spraying brass wire, the technology being brought from Switzerland and representing a first in Romania.

The solution for building the foundation of the Column also came from engineer Georgescu-Gorjan, who excavated it in Targu Jiu together with workers from the Central Workshops in Petrosani. 'Engineer Gorjean was clearly a very methodical person, he even found the solution, so to speak, for the ‘rooting' of the Column. This says a great deal about the effort made by Petrosani in raising the Endless Column,' Marian Boboc believes.

At present, the building that housed the Central Workshops in Petrosani, somewhere near the railway station, no longer exists. At most, from the street one can see the site where the workshops once stood, but access is no longer possible, as the land is now privately owned.

Beyond the technical details, Marian Boboc also fulfils his role as a careful researcher of contemporary sources.

'One observation of mine is that the local press, very interestingly, and not even the county press, and I think not even the national press, marked the moment of Brancusi's stay in the Jiu Valley. Why? It is very hard for me to know. I consider myself a local patriot. And I believe we should all be proud that this work, which has endured over the centuries, was cast in Petrosani. It was also made with the support of coal from the Jiu Valley. Because this whole undertaking cost money and that money was paid by the Petrosani Mining Company. How? By selling coal. At that time, coal was mined in the Jiu Valley and, I must say, it was also sold,' the curator further said.

It is worth mentioning that the history of the construction of the Endless Column in Petrosani can also be seen in a unique exhibition of photographs and illuminated panels inaugurated on the platform of the town's railway station.

The initiative belongs to the head of Petrosani railway station, Dorel Schiopu, who believes that history should be promoted by highlighting local actions and people.

'Very few people know that this famous wonder by Brancusi, the Endless Column, was built in Petrosani. The exhibition will highlight this fact. Through this exhibition, we too bow before Brancusi's genius, as the master so richly deserves,' the mentor of the cultural event also underlined.

The panels with photographs and explanations will remain in the station for travellers and all those interested to view throughout the Constantin Brancusi Year. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Sorin Blada; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)

Photos: Sorin Blada/AGERPRES