Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 26. (Budapest, 2008)
Zsolt SOMOGYI: An Adaptable Applied Artist. Pál Horti's American Furniture
9. Drawings of beds in the catalogue of the Shop of the Carfters, 1906 whether the names were connected with the mode of preparation), and the results of the procedures used to produce their surfaces (waxed, polished, dull polished). On the other side of the flyer, we encounter, in addition to Horti's photograph, information almost exactly the same as the text quoted above (the last sentence is omitted). From the 'title page' of the flyer, which at one time could be folded into three parts, and from the line drawings placed in its third part, we know that this particular advertisement was Horti's creation. Below and above the frame, which is printed in two colours and consists of Art Nouveau ribbon-bows and spirals, it recalls a mosaic-like surface; a black-andwhite version of this was, with a different text, published in the periodical Magyar Iparművészet, as an illustration for an account by Gyula Schmidt of Horti's last journey. 24 Another objective of the on-the-spot research in Cincinnati was to investigate the assumption that Horti designed the forty pianos mentioned by him for the firm D. H. Baldwin & Co. 25 We planned to do this by means of studies in the company's archives. 26 However, in 2001 the piano factory went bankrupt, and was purchased by the Gibson firm, which makes musical instruments. 27 During investigations concerning a possible archive, it came to light that during a fire in 1964 at the main factory in Cincinnati three of the six buildings there were destroyed. Unfortunately, we must assume that a significant part of the archive, too, perished at this time, perhaps along with prize-winning pianos exhibited in Paris and in St. Louis. This we have been unable to verify. Following the fire, but also in 1964, documents connected with the piano factory passed into the possession of the Cincinnati Historical Society Library, marked 'Wulsin Family Papers'. Lucien Wulsin was chairman of the company around the turn of the 20 th century, and how his family papers came to comprise part of a one-time archive we could not discover. The material contains company papers, advertisements, photographs, and newspaper articles; it does not contain designs or drawings. Among the documents examined we found none bearing the name Horti or the name Arnold Somlyó. Neither did an image of realised version of one or both of the artist's two known designs 28 come to light among the photographs. However, references to the one-time building up of the musical instrument concern do give some hope that the connection will be provable. The enterprise was established from five separate companies. These were the Baldwin Piano Co., the Ellington Piano Co., the Valley Gem Piano Co., the Howard Piano Co. (all in Cincinnati), and the Hamilton Organ Co. (in Chicago). In the knowledge of this fact, additional research - maybe in Chicago 2 ' - or the emergence of additional parts of the archive may yet prove the role of Pál Horti in the life of the company D. H. Baldwin Co. Finally, the expression 'adaptable applied artist' used in the title requires explanation.
