Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 25. (Budapest, 2007)

Piroska ÁCS: Kálmán Györgyi (1860-1930), Heart and Soul of the National Hungarian Applied Arts Association

NOTES

1 Györgyi, Dénes: ‘Két nemzedék között’ [Between Two Generations]. Magyar Iparművészet 1935, p. 20.

2 Among the sources of the biographical data are two compilations, one from 1928 and one from 1930, typed on writing-paper of the National Applied Arts Association (hereinafter: NAAA). I should like to thank Dr. Erzsébet Györgyi, granddaughter of Kálmán Györgyi, for granting me access to these and other family papers. Discrepancies in dates given have been resolved by reference to other documents, announcements and recollections. For the most recent survey of his career, see Acs, Piroska: ‘Györgyi Kálmán (1860-1930) élete és munkássága’ [The Life and Work of Kálmán Györgyi, (1860-1930)]. In: Művészgenerációk. A Györgyi-Giergl család három évszázada [Dynasties of Artists. Three Generations of the Györgyi-Giergl Family]. Exhibition catalogue. Edited by Beatrix Basics, Erzsébet Gyöngyi, Magdolna Lindner, and Magdolna Zimányi (Györgyi). Budapest: Budapest History Museum, 2007, pp. 97-105.

3 Her parents were Antal Haliczky, a senior doctor at St. Roch’s Hospital in the capital, and Mária Wieser. Amália Haliczky was Alajos Györgyi’s second wife and bore him two children: Sándor and Kálmán. (His first wife, Elza Musch, who died early, likewise bore him two children: Géza and Emma.)

4 The director at this time was János Vidéky (1827-1901).

5 As an instructor at the Budapest School of Design, Kálmán Györgyi launched in 1902 an initiative for a radical reform of art teaching in elementary schools. In recognition of his persistent efforts, in 1911 the Budapest School of Design, which was operated by the Budapest City Government, appointed him titular director. In a nutshell, Györgyi’s proposed reforms to the teaching of drawing were the following: the starting point should be the practical importance of the drawing. The copying of geometrical shapes from sheets of paper was dry and boring and relegated independent work to the background. The main goals should be the development of individuality as opposed to procedures that may develop skill with the hands, and also the ensuring of observation: teaching how to see with an emphasis on self-reliance and drawing after nature. No less important was the viewpoint that the development of many branches of industrial activity was based on ability to draw and on the understanding of drawings.

6 He took over from Gyula Pasteiner, who had resigned.

7 He assumed this post on the death of Kamill Fittler and held it until his own death in 1930.

8 At this time the post of president of the Applied Arts Association was held by György Ráth, with whom Kálmán Gyöngyi had an excellent working

relationship. They jointly edited the publication brought out for this occasion: see note 9.

9 Györgyi, Kálmán: ‘A Magyar Iparművészeti Társulat kollektív kiállítása’ [The Collective Exhibition by the Hungarian Applied Arts Association]. In: Az iparművészet 1896-ban. Millenniumi emlékkönyv [The Applied Arts in 1896. A Volume Commemorating the Millennium], Budapest: Magyar Iparművészeti Társulat, 1897 (hereinafter: Györgyi 1897).

10 Györgyi, Dénes: ‘Két nemzedék között’ [Between Two Generations]. Magyar Iparművészet 1935, p. 21. These scenes were deeply engraved in the small boy’s memory, since Kálmán Györgyi, dressed as a herald, took part in the Millennial Procession with Dénes and Laura, who was older, at his side.

11 At this point, I should like to mention Mária Z. Stemegg, who dealt with furniture and musical instruments during the course of her museum career. Here, of course, it is pieces of furniture that are presented.

12 This so-called dedication piece of furniture is described by Mária Z. Sternegg in the following publication: Schickedanz Albert (1846-1915) [Albert Schickedanz (1846-1915)]. Exhibition catalogue. Edited by Eszter Gábor and Mária Verő. Budapest 1996, pp. 287-289. The artefact is in the possession of the Petőfi Museum of Literature, Budapest. Inv. no.: R. 62.322.1.

13 Györgyi 1897, p. 140.

14 Györgyi 1897, p. 148.

15 Géza Györgyi (1851-1934), an architect, was Kálmán Györgyi’s half-brother. The artefact passed into the collection of the Museum of Applied Arts in 1897, through the Applied Arts Association. Inv. no.: 14956.

16 Györgyi 1897, p. 153.

17 For more on this subject, see Ács, Piroska: ‘Az Iparművészeti Múzeum mindenkori épületében rendezett karácsonyi vásárok (tárlatok, kiállítások) története’ [The History of the Christmas Fairs (Exhibitions) Held in the Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest]. Magyar Iparművészet 2005/4, pp. 65-68.

18 The six rooms were the following: 1) entrance hall - designed by Pál Horti, 2) gentleman’s study - designed by Pál Horti, 3) salon - designed by Frigyes Spiegel, 4) dining room - designed by Ernő Fork, 5) lady’s bedroom - designed by Baroness Ilona Huszár, and 6) children’s room/bathroom - designed by Erik Pauli. The arrangement and shape of the rooms of the apartment were implemented on the basis of a conception by Géza Györgyi. A detailed account of the exhibition was written by József Diener-Dénes. In: Magyar Iparművészet 1900, pp. 1-21.

19 In 1902, the design for the decoration and arrangement of the exhibition was prepared by Ede Thoroczkai Wigand. The design for the artistic

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