There is likely no serious text on the history of photography that fails to mention at least a few Hungarian-born photographers. It is impossible to ignore the contributions of Robert Capa, Brassaï, André Kertész, and László Moholy-Nagy. Indeed, these four artists are generally noted in the history of modern art, as well as in the history of photography. Consequently even those with only a passing knowledge of art or photography have heard of these four photographers. Beyond these four however, only a few other Hungarian-born photographers have earned a place in photography’s pantheon, and virtually none beyond the four are recognized by the general public.
In the main it is name-recognition that art museums rely on to drive attention and attendance to major photography exhibitions. In Robert Hirsch’s Seizing the Light, a social history of photography, he notes the contributions of Martin Munkácsi and Nickolas Muray, Munkácsi for his spontaneous, action-oriented approach to fashion and sports photography, and Muray for his celebrity glamour portraits and use of color in advertisements. But would the public flock to see a major exhibit of their works?
So it is no surprise that an important photography exhibition now at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts identifies Kertész and Capa in the exhibition’s title: American, born Hungary: Kertész, Capa, and the Hungarian American Photographic Legacy. The nuance in the title foretells the exhibition’s surprising elements; it also will feature works of other, lesser-known, Hungarian-born photographers as well, but only those who eventually emigrated to America. The title is also a hint that Brassaï, who became a French citizen, would not be included in the exhibition. This is understandable, but a bit of a disappointment. On the other hand, Munkácsi and Muray are represented because both are American, born Hungary.
American, born Hungary is a large exhibition of 175 prints of photographs and photograms created by 34 photographers. Such a large undertaking demands an organizing principle, and with so many photographers, each with a distinct emigration path and time frame, and involved with the many genres of photography, chronological order would not do. So the organizers chose eight broadly interpreted Time/Place themes. The themes are 1) Hungarians in Hungary, 2) Hungarians and the Bauhaus, 3) Hungarians in Paris, 4) Journalism and War Photography, 5) Hungarians in New York, 6) Hungarians in Chicago, 7) Hungarians in Hollywood, and 8) Hungarians and Fashion Photography. In an overarching way, the themes describe the large-scale flow of the Hungarian photographers from their native country first to France or Germany, and then with the rise fascism in Europe, to the art and media centers of the USA. The exhibition space is partitioned into eight areas, one area per theme, and each area has its own distinguishing wall color and introductory panel of text.1
So why American, born Hungary? The short answer is Director of the VMFA, Alex Nyerges. Every photographer in Virginia knows that Alex Nyerges is himself a photographer, and a good one. What they may not know is that Nyerges’ father Sándor, also an amateur photographer, was American, born Hungary. It was Sándor who infused his son Alex with a love of photography and his Hungarian heritage. Alex learned that many more Hungarian photographers beyond the famous four had made significant contributions to all the important fields of photography, but most had not enjoyed lasting recognition. For a few, even if some recognition survived, historians or museum staff lost track of their Hungarian roots. For others, it was the fact that they had become naturalized American citizens that was lost. So, thirty years ago Alex Nyerges wrote a one-page outline for an exhibition that would, in his words, “[set] the record straight”. Decades later, Nyerges would curate this exhibition, proud that of the 175 artworks, more than 100 are from the VMFA’s permanent collection. Unfortunately, Sándor Nyerges would not live to see the exhibition dedicated to him by his son. This exhibition is as much a homage to their shared heritage and love of photography as it is a retrospective of the contributions to photography, art, and American culture of dozens of less well-known American, born Hungary, photographers.
Most of the photographs are marvelous to look at, some even breathtaking. Of course in an exhibition this large, there are several images that are just OK, and a few even less so. However, if a major exhibition is to be considered truly important, then the whole must be greater than the sum of merely beautiful parts. American, born Hungary passes that test. Along with the biographical information in the exhibition’s catalogue, the evidence on the walls confirms the amazing but poorly recognized fact, that these naturalized American photographers, born in in a country that most Americans have heard of but probably couldn’t place on a map, photographers mostly now little remembered, were among the first, if not the true innovators, in all the major genres of modern photography. Surrealism? Architecture? Abstraction? Street Photography, Portraiture, Fashion/Glamour, Social Justice/Journalism, War Photography, Sports? Yes, it’s all there, on the walls of this exhibition.
If you love photography, or even if you just like looking at beautiful photographs, see this exhibit. If you do, then through the eyes and artistry of these famous and less-famous photographers you will get a crash course in a missing part of the history of modern photography.
American, born Hungary: Kertész, Capa, and the Hungarian American Photographic Legacy opened at the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest on April 4, 2024. It will be presented at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts through January 26, 2025. The final presentation will be at the George Eastman Museum from September 26, 2025, to March 1, 2026.
- The social forces that motivated these photographers to emigrate may not be obvious from a casual pass through the exhibition. To really understand what motivated them to leave their beloved homeland, read Alex Nyerges’ essay American, born Hungary in the exhibition’s catalogue. This essay, albeit somewhat long and repetitive, reflects the depth of Nyerges’ passion and research for the exhibition. A second, more sweeping explanation is provided by another essay in the catalogue: Hungarian Emigrant Photographers in America, 1849 to the Present: The Who, When, and Why. This essay is written by Karoly Kincses, a Hungarian photo historian and Nyerges’ co-curator and co-organizer for the exhibition. The catalogue is comprehensive and impressive, providing important contributions to the history of photography. However, the catalogue is large, heavy reading, and expensive. A less intimidating alternative to tackling the catalogue is watching Nyerges’ Opening Talk about this exhibition, available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ6OmybkNvg ↩︎