Benkő Andrea: A Guide to Petőfi Literary Museum (Budapest, 2009)
The Library
THE LIBRARY Sándor Petőfi: János Vitéz [John the Valiant], Pest, 1845 pressed objects. It is also very likely that the collection of a writer who loves books will reflect the chronological layering in the biography through the items read and the books received or given away. The quite different habits - alternating, periodical or coexistent - in the creative work and the use of the books or library undoubtedly leave their mark on the individual personal libraries. We inherited the basis of our collection from the Petőfi House, and therefore, when we would like to draw attention to the treasures of our collection, we generally refer to the original editions of Petőfi volumes. Even today, these serve as the basic sources for scientific research - chiefly for text editions - as does, for example, the copy of Petőfi's A helység kalapácsa, most likely illustrated by the author himself. It was also the Petőfi House collection that preserved Mór Jókai's private library for us - the approximately 1,500 volumes constituted the source for the writer's novels. The collection contains dedicated volumes received from contemporaries, as well as Jókai's writings in Hungarian, and foreign language translations of works by Petőfi and Jókai. The specially bound, beautifully decorated albums, the book rarities, and the gifts for the 50th jubilee of the outstanding writer are of particular interest. One of our Library's most important tasks is to collect the original editions of our literature, the censored volumes and correction copies, and to complete the collection as far as possible, since our institution does not only serve scientific research: the original and authentic copies often appear in exhibitions. A particular characteristic of our Library is that we pay attention to the publisher's bindings, publisher's or printer's stamps, other bookbinder's labels, the names of the cover and title page designers, and the addresses of their workshops. The artists are referenced in our cover catalogue. ADY ENDRE AMENEKÜLÖ ÉLET m #■ NYU ŰATKIADÁ/A Endre Ady: A menekülő élet [This Fleeing Life], Budapest, 1912 15
