Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve 41-42 (1996-1997 )(Pécs, 1998)

Történettudományok - Mattyasovszky Zsolnay Tamás: Az egykori pécsi Zsolnay-gyárak budapesti lerakatai

86 A JANUS PANNONIUS MÚZEUM ÉVKÖNYVE 41-42 (1996-97) A chapter in the industrial history of the depot-warehouses in Budapest of the former Zsolnay Factories Tamás MATTYASOVSZKY ZSOLNAY Based on the memoirs of my grandmother Teréz Zsolnay, and with the help of information from news and advertisments in the papers of the period 1870-1948,1 am outlining the relationships having been established between the Zsolnay Factories (in Pécs and Budapest) and the major merchants of Budapest, Vienna and France, as well as the history of the Zsolnay representation in Budapest. In 1865 Vilmos Zsolnay took over the ceramic manufacture from his elder brother, and by 1873 he had developed the quality of his merchandise to such a degree that he entered his products in the Vienna World Exposition. As a result, orders poured in from England, France and Vienna, ensuring considerable prospects in business. In 1784 Vilmos Zsolnay contacted the famous Budapest merchant Antal Testory and entrusted him with the distribution of Zsolnay products. As a result of the success at the Vienna World Exposition, a business agreement was made with a Vienna lamp manufacturer Rudolf Ditmar. At the 1878 Paris World Exposition, the Parisian merchant Louis Maus undertake to represent the Zsolnay Factories in France, to be followed by Jules Houry in 1879. The relationship with Ernst Wahliss in Vienna was slow to develop. He was pushing for an agreement as a result of which he was appointed exclusive foreign representative of the

t Factories in 1880, handling 35% of the decorative ware circulated. The contract with Wahliss was, in many ways, a drawback for the Factories, causing many problems, and effecting the cessation of direct relations with foreign buyers. In 1881 Ágoston Klein in Vienna was also given merchandise, but only butter-, honey- and sardine plates. At the 1885 Budapest Hungarian Exhibition Vilmos Zsolnay recognised the serious need for a permanent depot and showroom-store in Budapest. In June 1886 the „Architectural Office" was opened at 2 Gizella square (today: Vörösmarty square), District 5. A short while later the office was moved to the building at 13 Andrássy street, District 6 (the number, though, was changed from 11 to 13 in 1890). This office shortly became the showroom of the Factories as well as its central depotwarehouse, with even the stoneware-pipe stocks having been moved there. In 1897 both the office and the warehouse were moved to larger quarters in the building at 47 Andrássy street where the living premises for Vilmos Zsolnay and his son Miklós, could also be set up. Vilmos Zsolnay passed away on 23 March 1900 in Pécs, and in June Ernst Wahliss also died in Vienna. That year the showroom, the office and the warehouse were moved to the building on the corner of Váci and Duna streets (today: 15th of March sqare) where the basement, the ground floor and the first floor were taken over. Finally, the warehouse and the distribution department were moved to the facilities of the Budapest Zsolnay Factories ("Zsolnay-féle Porcellán- és Fayancegyár Rt.") at 153 Öv street (District 14), where they continued to operate until the ownership of the entire company was taken over by the state in 1948. A szerző címe: MATTYASOVSZKY ZSOLNAY Tamás Budapest Lónyai u. 34. IV. 25. 1093