Corbești Distillery
Today we present a unique group photograph taken in a rural homestead or, very likely, at a local distillery (*pălincărie*) in the village of Corbești, Petriș Commune. Beyond the faces of the people, the image captures a page from the economic and social history of the Mureș Valley during a period of profound change.
What we have managed to uncover so far
The element that immediately caught our attention is the inscription on one of the barrels in the picture. At first analysis, it appeared to read “TAM”. After further image processing and comparing details, we concluded that the photograph was most likely printed mirrored during the development process—a fairly common error in the era of analog photography.
Read correctly, the inscription becomes “MAT”.
During the interwar period and the early years following World War II, the abbreviation MAT stood for Monopolul Alcoolului și Tutunului (the State Monopoly on Alcohol and Tobacco), the institution through which the Romanian state controlled and taxed the production, distribution, and sale of alcohol and tobacco products. The presence of this mark on the barrels indicates that they were part of an official, state-controlled supply chain.
Dating the Photograph
On the barrel, the year 1943 can be distinguished, most likely indicating the year the container was manufactured or officially registered.
However, the degree of wear on the barrels, the historical context, and an analysis of the clothing suggest that the photograph was taken a few years later—most likely between 1945 and 1947, prior to the administrative reorganization and nationalization of 1948.
A Snapshot of a World in Transition
On one side stand people dressed in traditional local attire—wearing peasant sandals (opinci), leg wraps (obiele), and fur caps (cușme). On the other side appear several individuals dressed in urban attire, wearing overcoats and brimmed hats.
These individuals may have been representatives of the authorities or agents involved in the operations of the State Monopoly on Alcohol and Tobacco, who had arrived to inspect, measure, or log the production of local brandy (țuică).