S. Nagy Anikó, Rédey Judit: Az utca képeskönyve. Kereskedelmi plakátok és korabeli kritikájuk (1885–1945) (Bpudapest, 2006)

by a long list of artists: Robert Berény, Dezső Bér, Sándor Bortnyik, József Bottlik, Lajos Csabai Ékes, Jenő Haranghy, István Irsai, Lajos Kassák, György Konecsni, Zoltán Kónya, Gyula Macskássy, C. Pál Molnár, Tibor Pólya, János Repcze, Gusztáv Végh, etc. The advertisement began to develop in a spectacular fashion from the end of the 1920s. It received a battling main role during advertising campaigns. The goods to be advertised stood at its centre. Its effectiveness was reinforced by stylised figures using the object depicted in a humorous or surprising manner. The street took on a new appearance. Budapest was growing into a cosmopolitan city and the city at night was made even more exciting by illuminated advertisements. Illuminated advertising pillars first appeared in tram and bus stops in the busiest streets in Budapest back in 1927. By 1

930, there were 700 large and 1,000 small pillars, billboards with a total surface area of 10,000 m

2 and 28 large, hexagonal and 115 small, square illuminated pillars providing sites for posters. The 1930s saw tourism posters emerge as the worthy continuation of the spa posters from the turn of the century. They attempted to express national character. The state also turned great attention to tourism. International, tourism-poster exhibitions became a regular occurrence both across Europe and in Hungary. Whether as exhibits or as decoration in waiting rooms or tourist offices, the poster had a role to play in cultural diplomacy. By the mid1930s, the objective posters of the past were replaced by classicising works that applied lyrical expression. György Konecsni proved to be a prominent, creative figure during this period. His tourism posters radiated the picturesque quality of folk costume. The years leading up to World War II saw the boom slow and with it the number of good commercial posters also decreased giving way to promoting political causes. The reflection of the press of the period dates from virtually the same time as the appearance of the poster. Critics from the turn of the century referred to the poster as "the picture book of the street", "the decorative art of the street", "the gallery of the street" and "the child of the