’WHERE THE THEATRE HISTORY IS BEING FORMED...’
Exhibition on the 50th Anniversary of the Theatre History Collection
National Széchényi Library, January 25 – June 12, 2000
A postponed opening or else, the Theatre History Collection
of the National Széchényi Library celebrated its jubilee last year.
The display introduced the ’youngest’ special collection of the
National Széchényi Library with a spectacular exhibition on its 50th anniversary
entitled with an ironic phrase. The Theatre History Collection was set up in
1949 when several theatre libraries and archives surviving World War II became
state property and with other important theatrical material acquisited from
earlier period formed a large thematic group of special documents within the
library.
Our aim was to show not only ’where, how and from what kind of material’
the history of dramatic art was compiled but to give an interesting panorama
on the development of professional acting in Hungary. This was done in the context
of theatrical culture through more than 200 years both in the capital and the
countryside.
The first group of documents on display (certificates of baptism, lists of subscriptions,
accounts, playbills, photographs, letters, duel declarations, school reports,
wills etc.) represents the private life of eminent artists by combining a great
variety of source material with the (individual) beauty of these relics.
A collection of remains from the documents of theatre director Imre Szigeti
(1831-1902) and his company staying at Pécs in 1865 was displayed as a model
of a touring company in Hungary in the 19th century. Their activity is illustrated
with the series of grotesque drawings by the actor József Zoltán representing
the members of the company in their roles.
A great variety of special documents offer a colourful overview of the whole
collection through the stage career of a box-hit production, Jacques Offenbach’s
Le Belle Helene this representative piece of the Offenbach cult in
Hungary. Following the 120-year history of the realization of this popular operetta
staged at various places one can get acquainted with the noted directors and
their companies operating in the capital and at countryside. The legendary figures
of Hungarian dramatic art from the premiere in 1860 up to the remarkable performances
of the 20th century give a splendid tableau accompanied by spectacular stage
and costume designs.
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1959 |
1968 |
Due to its particular importance a special branch of documents can be seen in
the final section of the show. The 32 original playbills of the first Hungarian
professional company from the period between 1792 and 1795 were acquisited recently
as a returning material of the library.
Finally, our endeavour was to show the world of theatre from the comic aspect
by introducing a number of caricatures.
Curator: Olga Somorjai
Curator’s assistant: Zita Burda
