Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 26. (Budapest, 2008)

Zsolt SOMOGYI: An Adaptable Applied Artist. Pál Horti's American Furniture

NOTES 1 From advertising material preserved together with the Shop of the Crafters product catalogue for 1906. Main Public Library Cincinnati and Hampton County. Rare Books Room, No. 749.097717 S559 1906. 2 Somogyi, Zsolt: 'Pál Horti's Late Works in the United States of America'. Ars Decorativa 25, 2007, pp. 105-22. Here we must mention that after the paper was published it came to the author's attention that Horti's links with America had already been outlined by Juliet Kinchin in a study published by her in 2002 ('Modernity and Tradition in Hungarian Furniture, 1900-1938: Three Generations'. The Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts 24, pp. 65-93). 3 Letter from Pál Horti to József Mihalik, St. Louis, 8 December 1904, National Széchényi Library, Manuscript Collection. 4 'Horti Pál (nekrológ)' [Pál Horti. An Obituary]. Magyar Iparművészet 1907, p. 172. 5 Here Horti mentions his sketch-books, which he posted off. His wife set out for home on 17 May 1906. Letter sent from New York by the artist to Elek Koronghy Lippich, 24 May 1906, National Széchényi Library, Manuscript Collection. 6 Letters from Mrs. Horti to Elek Koronghy Lippich, 24 June 1907 and 4 November 1907 respectively, National Széchényi Library, Manuscript Collection. In the first of these letters Mrs. Horti mentions that she is preparing to move to the district of Mátyásföld, then outside Budapest. The envelope gives the widow's address at the earlier of these two dates: Budapest, Báthory u. 12. 7 'Horti Pál hagyatékában' [Pál Horti in the Light of His Legacy]. Magyar Iparművészet 1908, p. 298. The Mexico collection's arrival at the Museum of Applied Arts is confirmed by the Acquisitions Register (1908) and by the entries in the one-time 'A' Inventory. 8 'Horti Pál'. Magyar Iparművészet 1908, p. 179; 'Horti Pál temetése' [The Burial of Pál Horti]. Magyar Iparművészet 1908, p. 222. 9 See note 2. 10 Magyar Iparművészet 1907, p. 182. 11 Magyar Iparművészet 1907, p. 182. 12 Magyar Iparművészet 1907, p. 183. 13 Magyar Iparművészet 1907, p. 182. 14 www.eco-furniture.com/guide/countryProvin- cialStyle.php For a short summary of Shaker furniture see Miller, Judith: Képes bútorenciklopédia. Korok, stäusok, alkotók [An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Furniture. Periods, Styles, Artists]. Budapest, 2006, pp. 236-7. 15 Arts and Crafts Furniture - Shop oj the Crafters at Cincinnati. Facsimile edition of the 1906 catalogue. New York, p. 1983. 16 With regard to a significant number of Horti's works it is the artist himself who gives us information: 'I have been in New York exactly a year and in this time I have made 520 sketches and designs. Of these 176 are detailed sketches - apart from the designs for the minister's study that were sent home, all were made here.' Letter sent by Horti from New York to Elek Koronghy Lippich, 9 April 1906, National Széchényi Library, Manuscript Collection. 17 Inv. no. 1986.908. Photograph published in: Aronson, Julie (ed.): The Cincinnati Wing - The Story of Art in the Queen City. Athens, OH, 2003, p. 207. Special thanks go to Amy Dehan, who received me at Cincinnati Art Museum and who made it possible for me to study not only the pieces on show, but also those not displayed. 18 A photograph showing an example of these is held by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Published in: Kaplan, Wendy (ed.): The Arts & Crafts Movement in Europe & America. Design for the Modern World. New York, 2004, p. 161; exhibition item no. 5.19. 19 Inv. nos.: dining chairs (2): 1986.713.a-b, sideboard: 1989.107., glazed cabinet: 1997.7, Van Dyck clock: 1986.1076. 20 See note 1. 21 See note 15. 22 Trapp, Kenneth R.: 'The Shop of the Crafters at Cincinnati, 1904-1920'. Tiller VII, 1986, 5, pp. 8-25. 23 See note 1, under the same number as the catalogue. 24 Magyar Iparművészet 1907, p. 175. 25 See note 2, p. 117. 26 We had no information on whether there was an archive or not, but in the case of a firm with great traditions the existence of one may be assumed. The pride with which they spoke about their products and achievements - e.g. the Grands Prix won at world expositions in Paris and St. Louis - would seem to confirm the existence of an archive. However, we found no trace of one, even in the period since 1964. 27 Telephone inquiries concerning the archive were made since the beginning of the research but failed to yield replies. 28 Magyar Iparművészet, 1907, pp. 182-3. 29 'Music Trade Guide, 1904'. Manuscript. 30 Diner-Dénes, József: 'A karácsonyi kiállítás' [The Christmas Exhibition]. Magyar Iparművészet, 1900, p. 4.