Magyar News, 1999. szeptember-2000. augusztus (10. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1999-12-01 / 4. szám

willingly display bolts of material, only to find that all they wanted was a mere 15 centimeters (6 inches) of one, and maybe 4 inches of another. (Edith, in her memoirs, comments that the clerks at that time still had manners, and did not make any snide remarks.)

There was a great deal of fret-saw work involved in creating "Land of Faiiy Tales." Raul made the coach for the second scene of Tom Thumb, where Tom arrives at the prince's palace to ask for his daughter's hand (after he had drunk from the magic spring and grown to normal size). There was even a seat for the footman, where Brer Wolf sat, while the Bear sat on the driver's seat, driving two other bears hitched to a harness.

A tiny eight-sided Eastern-style table completed the scene from the Arabian

Nights, and Cinderella's kitchen had a miniature table and chairs which could have come from Transylvania. Edith and Viola studied a book of Hungarian costumes, and wherever possible, dressed the dolls accordingly. Each scene was identified by handpainted signs.

Years later, Edith would write in her memoirs: "Thinking back on it now, I'm aghast at the amount of work we put into the whole exhibit."

They asked Countess István Bethlen to be the Patroness of the exhibit.

Thanks to posters placed in streetcars (painted by a friend of Edith's future husband), and notices in the newspapers arranged by Viola's fűmre husband, opening day was crowded with visitors. Edith and Viola took turns explaining the scenes to those who needed such explanations. Children were mesmerized. Some were almost rooted to the spot, and could not be budged even with promises of being taken to the movies.

"Meseország" got rave reviews from

the press. Uj Nemzedék, in its issue of December 15,1925, wrote:“The small pine trees and garlands of pine boughs (with which they had decorated the exhibition rooms. Ed.) fill everything with a kind of sweet Christmas aura. It's the most magnificent atmosphere: here we are really in fairy tale land. Over here's Little Red Riding Hood, over there's Snow White, here's Hansel and Gretel, there's Sleeping Beauty, Sheherezade, Tom Thumb. One doesn't know where to look. The children's eyes light up and they rapidly explain the details of the fairy tales to each other. Some can scarcely be dragged along. Everything has been done with so much care, so artistically, delicately, with such skill. And with such Hungarian characteristics. The king wears a long silk robe from the time of Árpád, the prince has a

"dolmány" embroidered with gold thread and a high fur cap with a feather. Sleeping Beauty is resplendent in the garments of our great-great-grandmothers, while Cinderella is a spirited young girl from Transylvania. Our colorful childhood world is conjured up and we start to daydream, quietly, with misty eyes... The many pairs of children's eyes, sparkling with happiness, testify that Edith and Viola Vajk, who have immigrated from Transylvania, have created really something lovely. Thanks and praise to them."

And Szózat remarked: "The small stages give an excellent impression of perspective and there's a lot of movement and vivacity in the setting up of the rigid figures. Their (Edith and Viola Vajk's) Transylvanian character is conspicuous even in fairy tales of foreign origin. The motifs of Torda Gorge in a rocky background, a (carved) Transylvanian gate, the shepherds' clothes of the robbers, the colorful, tiny plates which they handpainted themselves, all refer back to the soil of

Transylvania, which had made their creative imaginations so fruitful."

Edith remembered how time-consuming it was to set up the dolls in the required poses, so they would be lifelike. "Often we stuck thin wires under their clothes, and they would 'invisibly' lean on these, so they wouldn't fall over. But they never did."

On certain afternoons, a professional story-teller called "Oszkár bácsi" (Uncle Oscar) would entertain, and several educational lectures were also held in the largest of the three exhibition rooms which could accommodate an audience.

The Archduchess Augusta even announced her visit, causing a great flurry of excitement among the Vajks. Magdi who was assistant to the head of the physics department at the university, asked him to go and receive the highly honored guest, and he obliged. The Archduchess was accompanied by her lady-in-waiting, who followed two steps behind her, on her left. Viola, not familiar with court etiquette, accompanied the Archduchess, going up the staircase right beside her, and explaining the various scenes of the exhibit. According to “8 ÓRAI ÚJSÁG,” dated December 22, 1925, the Archduchess "expressed her greatest pleasure and delight over the original, theatrical presentation of Hungarian folktales. This successful exhibit is characterized by meticulousness, refined taste, Hungarian creative energy and a devoted love for children. Its concept and realization deserve the greatest attention and support of the educational authorities, the schools and kindergarten directors.” Due to popular demand, the exhibit was extended, first until January 15th 1926, then until the end of the month.

In March of 1926, it opened in Kispest under the auspices of the mayor and his wife. Here, the “educational authorities” did support them, bringing entire classes to the exhibit. Often, a new class would arrive while Viola was still guiding the previous one through the exhibit, and Edith would stall for time in the stairwell by retelling a lesser-known fairy tale.

Kispest brought them enough money, so they were finally able to pay off the loans they had to take out for the exhibit in Budapest. Afterwards, they took "Meseország" to the so-called "cave movie" in the Budapest Zoo. By 1934, Edith and Viola were married, and they revived "Meseország" for their children's sake, again at the Zoo.

Afterwards, they gave away the various dolls to children among their relatives, and many of the accessories fell into disrepair. “It wasn't possible to store so many odds and ends in Budapest apartments. Sic transit gloria mundi,” (so passes away the glory of the world) wrote Edith in closing her description of “Land of Fairy Tales”.

... and so my tale's told —

‘‘Itt a vége, fiiss el véle! ”

The witch, Hansel and Gretel in front of the real gingerbread house.

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