The Portrait Collection of the Historical Photo Department of the Hungarian National Museum stores pictures of characters from political, economical and cultural life. This means more than 40,000 photographs depicting more than 15,000 persons. These pictures are works of professional, amateur or private photographers. They were taken at studios or at events.
In the second half of the 19th century, members of the nobility and did not wear costumes only at Carnival festivities. They did so at other times as well. Historical figures, characters from famous plays, imaginary figures, and figures of famous paintings used to come to life beside traditional Carnival masks. They showed up at presentations of historical tableaux vivants, private gatherings, or children’s parties. Sometimes, these fashionable masquerade festivities had political meaning, or they served charitable means, or were simply events for amusement. We collected a sample of the photographs of the Historical Photo Department, showing known characters wearing costumes, with an outlook on the 20th century as well.

The members of the Habsburg family who used to permanently live in Hungary were Archduke Frederick and his family. Their palace in Pozsony (Bratislava) is now the residence of the President of the Slovak Republic. Isabella was from the ducal family of Croy-Dülmen, dating themselves back to the Árpád dynasty. She was raised in Belgium and married Frederick in 1878 who was the richest Habsburg as the adopted son of Archduke Albrecht. Isabella and Frederick had nine children, eight girls and one boy. Several famous people visited their luxurious court in Pozsony. They often held home concerts, with family members, relatives and guests also taking part in masquerade balls or theatre performances. Frederick was deeply influenced by the strong-willed and politically rather ambitious Isabella, who also actively participated in supporting various societies or institutions and organising their work. Isabella also learned photography. Several members of her family used the camera with expertise, so, they captured the moments of their festivities or everday life together. However, for events they deemed particularly important, they often invited professional photographers, sometimes even from Vienna.

Photo: Archduchess Isabella and her children as characters of an amateur play

Photograph by Vienna photographer dr. Josef Székely, Pozsony (today: Bratislava), ca. 1895

The pedestal of the statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi in the garden of the Hungarian National Museum contains a high relief. It shows the Italian freedom hero shaking hands with István Türr (1825-1908), who became a fighter of the “Thousands” from being a page boy in Baja, and ultimately played a decisive part in the battle of the Volturno. According to tradition, Türr wore the red shirt of Garibaldi’s soldiers when he married the kuzin of French Emperor Napoleon III, Adeline Bonaparte-Wyse in 1860, in Mantova. This daughter of Letizia Bonaparte adopted her husband’s political views, and dressed as the personification of enchained Hungaria, the country suffering captivity after the defeat of the independence war, at a costume party in Paris. The photograph of this costume was taken by famous Paris photographer Disderi.

Photo: Madame István Türr as enchained Hungaria

Disderi, Paris, 1860’s

The lanky figure of politician Count Albert Apponyi de Nagyappony (1846–1933), leader of the Hungarian delegation signing the peace treaty after World War I, is known to us mainly from pictures taken at an old age. This photograph from his youth is particularly interesting: the young count is dressed as knight Don Quixote de la Mancha. He donned the costume of this immortal hero of Cervantes’s on the occasion of a charity ball organised by the Association of Fine Arts, raising money for the Kunsthalle. He was accompanied by his close friend Dezső Bernáth (later member of the parliament), who played the part of Sancho Panza. According to reports of the time, they had great success, with a political caricature of their costume play being made as well.

Photo: Count Albert Apponyi dressed as Don Quixote

Borsos és Doctor, Pest, 1868

Physician professor Frigyes Korányi and his wife Malvin Bónis had four children: Malvin (1862), the painter Anna (1864), the physician and academic Sándor (1866) and the politician Frigyes Jr. (1869). The parents aimed to have their children very well educated. The family supported several charity and assistance programmes. In 1874, a charity performance took place in the last German theatre of Pest, raising money for a nursery and orphanage. In the first part, children (with Korányis among them) played in ten scenes. The caption of contemporary press for the seventh scene, titled “The painter’s studio”, says “A. Korányi”. Sadly, today we cannot decide which of two children, of nearly the same age, is portrayed: Anna or Sándor (Alexander). Photographs of the children in costume were taken at the studio of Ágoston Bülch.

Photo: Child of dr. Frigyes Korányi in a painter’s costume

Bülch Ágoston, Budapest, 1874

The most well-known Hungarian prime minister from the period between the two world wars might be Pál Teleki (1879-1941). In his politics, he followed a conservative and anti-liberal ideology, but still supporting social reform; however, he considered himself a scholar rather than a politician. As a geographer, he was the most prominent ideologist of the revision of the Trianon borders. He was the honorary boy scout leader who still gladly donned his scout’s uniform even at the age of 60. He was also one of the best dancers at balls, one who loved special and beautiful cars as well as English-style sportswear. Then, he was the one whose expensive hobby was book collection, and he still read Karl May’s Indian stories well into his adulthood. The teen count dressed for a costume ball is here photographed by the Strelisky studio.

Photo: Count Pál Teleki as a child

Strelisky, Budapest, ca. 1890

The drawing skill of György Vastagh (1834-1922) was first noticed by his Piarist teacher. The talented young painter lived in Kolozsvár (today: Cluj-Napoca, Romania) for two decades, but studied in Vienna several times. During his years in Kolozsvár, while working as a painter, he also practiced photography intermittently. He lived in Budapest from 1876. As an active member of Pest’s artist society, he organised several meetings, while working as designer and creator of dresses and decorations at costume balls. He did so also on 19 July 1896, at the costume ball held at the Kunsthalle to honour Mihály Munkácsy. Vastagh himself dressed as István Báthori. His works are kept at several public collections, and we know of his altar-pieces as well. The photograph showing him in costume, and dedicated to his friend Béla Spányi, is a particularly treasured piece of the Historical Photo Department.

Photo: Painter György Vastagh

Ellinger, Budapest, 1896

The most lively promenade of the Városliget was the Stefánia út; there stood the elegant palace designed by architect Artúr Meinig for the exclusive events of the aristocracy. The compelling building of the Park Klub (today: Stefánia palace) opened its doors to its selected clientele in 1895. The palace’s magnificent ballroom housed several prestigious events and charity gatherings. Countess Lajosné Károlyi née Hanna Széchenyi (1872-1957) supported the Hungarian Academy of Sciences living up to the standards of her grandfather István. She aided the publication of volumes on forestry, and took active part in the charity events of this lords’ company. In this photograph, she is seen wearing her costume at the charity event for the Artists’ Retiring Fund.

Photo: Countess Hanna Széchényi as Botticelli’s Minerva

Strelisky, Budapest, 1900

Both Archduke Joseph and his wife Archduchess Clotilde aimed to show their strong ties to Hungary through every area of cultural and social life. In 1902 the nobles, led by Archduke Otto, organised a great horse tournament to benefit the Clotilde hospice, designed and founded by the archduchess. The press paid great attention to the preparations and the event itself. Reports presented in detail the setting of the hall, the costumes, the persons. The capital’s public admired the attendees by rushing in front of the Tattersall. The guests wore apparel resembling that of the time of King Matthias. The programme included horse tournaments, dancing, and jousts. Several photographs of the costumes were taken; Count Tivadar Andrássy (1857-1905) shows up in quite a few

Photo: Count Tivadar Andrássy

Estates of Gy, Mártonfy, Budapest, 1902

Countess Gerladine Apponyi (1915-2002) is seen here dressed as Mimi, heroine of Giacomo Puccini’s opera La bohème. At the charity Opera Ball of 1934 it was Sándor Echerolles to play Rodolphie, partner of Countess Geraldine. According to written reviews of the time, “the countess plays the young seamstress with grace, elegance and kind informality”. The photograph taken then was released to the press years later, in 1938, when Geraldine Apponyi became engaged to Albanian monarch Zogu I.

Photo: Countess Geraldine Apponyi dressed as Mimi 

Vajda M. Pál, Budapest, 1934