Molnár József - Szilas Péter: Night Lights - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1993)

Without monuments a nation’s fame is nothing but

A SHADE

(the poet Mihály Vörösmarty)

As exemplified by the row of lamp standards which have been restored to their old glory in Andrássy út, the devices supporting and housing public lights play an important role in shaping the aesthetic character of the city, as well as illuminating its streets. However, it would not be possible to reconstruct each and every old lamp. That is why the Museum of Electrical Technology, an institute sponsored by the Electricity Works, has created an open air exhibition salvaging period street lights in Lovas út, a street running below the walls on the west side of Castle Hill.

This “island” of old lamps starts with the old gas lamps in Palota út, and continues with the lyre-shaped lamp standards in Lovas út.

The start of the exhibition is marked by a plaque on the wall of the Castle. On either side are faithful replicas of the brackets which supported the oldest electric street lamps in Hungary, ones like those which were used in Temesvár. Among the exhibits is an original lamp standard designed by William T. Clark, the designer of the Lánchíd (Chain Bridge).

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