Hungarian postcard by Kiadja Reinitz Jòzsef, Budapest. Photo: Strelisky, Budapest.
Hungarian actress and singer Sári Fedák (1879-1955) was one of the most famous prima donnas of her time. The temperamental operetta and film star was mixed up in several scandals.
Hungarian postcard. Photo: Strelisky, Budapest 1917.
Emmi Kosáry (1889-1964) was a Hungarian opera diva and operetta prima donna with a beautiful soprano voice. She also became a film actress, who worked in Hungary with the young Michael Curtiz. Kosáry was the wife of composer Ákos Buttykay.
Hungarian postcard by Rubens, Budapest. Photo: Strelisky, 1914. Hungarian caption on the back of the card reads 'The world-famous star at the Royal Orfeum in Budapest'.
Valdemar Psilander (1884-1917) was the most popular male actor in the Danish cinema of the 1910s. Before and during the First World War, the Danish company Nordisk gained enormously - thanks to Psilander's success. Only 32 years old, Psilander passed away in 1917. At the peak of his career. Some say he died of a cardiac affliction, others say it was suicide.
Lipót Strelisky
Lipót Strelisky was one of the first to deal with daguerreotypes in Budapest in the 1840s. In his studio on Dorottya Street, he photographed the politicians, aristocrats and artists of the era. His son, Sándor Strelisky, who died in 1923, was the first photographer in Hungary to take multi-character photographs with a special technique.
Lipót Strelisky (1820–1905) was one of the best-known photographers in Budapest in the 19th century, according to one of the remaining articles about him got interested in photography in 1840, and made his first daguerreotypes - with the method invented by Louis Daguerre and Joseph Nicéphore - in 1843. Strelisky's teacher was probably a French daguerreotype specialist from Paris working in Pest.
He opened his first studio in 1846 in the house at today's 3 Október 6. Street. (then 3 Két sas Street - 1 Bálvány Street) in the 5th District of Budapest. The theatrical and literary magazine Der Schmetterling reported the opening of his studio in an ad, and it also specified that the equipment of the studio consisted of the most modern equipment of the age and came from Paris. The house that accommodated the studio was designed by József Hild. The studio was located on the third floor.
Lipót Strelisky exhibited his first daguerreotypes in 1846 at the exhibition of the Pest Association. Daguerreotype was from then on included in the multitude of art materials. The photographer’s career was also supported by the fact that the well-known actress of theatrical life of the age, Charlotte Wolter, and one of the greatest actors, Adolf von Sonnenthal, lived in the house on Október 6. Street. They were both members of the German Theatre on Gyapjú Street. Lipót Strelisky was soon known for his artistic portraits.
Lipót Strelisky was one of the first photographers to open his studio with overhead lighting in 1861, on the top floor of the house at 11 Dorottya Street. In an article on 29 October 1865, the Vasárnapi Ujság praised the photographer, who had now taken colour shots as follows: "No one has yet mastered Strelisky's process by which colours show unspeakable softness and vividness." Strelisky returned home with medals from the 1867 World's Fair in Paris and an 1871 exhibition in London. He won the title of imperial and Hungarian royal court photographer. All of this recognition was due to his meticulous work, great skill, and dedication. In the fall of 1878, the Strelisky family moved into the house at 9 Dorottya Street, next to his former studio, and their residence and studio were set up here.
Hungarian postcard, no. 5668. Photo: Lipot Strelisky. Sári Fedák as the title character in the operetta 'Bob herceg' (Prince Bob / Duke Bob, 1902) by Jenő Huszka.
The premiere of 'Bob herceg' took place on 20 December 1902 at the Népszínház in Budapest. The libretto was written by Ferenc Martos and Károly Bakonyi. It was Jenő Huszka's first operetta and he was successful with it both at home and abroad. He thus opened the way to fame for other Hungarian authors (especially Viktor Jacobi and Emmerich Kálmán). The operetta was filmed in 1941 by director László Kalmár. The play by Huszka was extremely popular, especially because of Sári Fedák's performance. By February 1903, she had already done 50 performances with the play at the Népszínház theatre.
Hungarian postcard. Photo: Strelisky, Budapest. Sent by mail in 1903.
Sári Fedák or Fédak Sári was born in Beregszász, Hungary (now Berehove, Ukraine) in 1879. She studied acting with Szidi Rákosi until 1899 and began her career the same year with the Magyar Színház theatre company. From 1900, she played in Pozsony (now Bratislava), and in several theatres in Budapest.
Hungarian postcard by KIV, Budapest. Photo: Strelisky, Budapest.
Hungarian postcard by Törvényesen Védve, Budapest, no. 376/13. Photo: Strelisky, Budapest. Sári Fédak in the stage play 'Janos Vitéz'.
'Janos Vitéz' (John the Valiant) was a musical play by Pongrác Kacsóh in three acts, based on a famous poem by Sándor Petőfi (1844). The premiere of 'Janos Vitéz' took place on 18 November 1904.
Hungarian postcard by Törvényesen Védve, no. Budapest, no. 376/14. Photo: Strelisky, Budapest. Sári Fédak in 'Janos Vitéz'. Sent by mail in 1905.
Sári Fedák (1879-1955) recalled the premiere in 1904 of 'Janos Vitéz' by Pongrác Kacsóh, as her greatest success to date. In the success, the audience played a huge part.
Hungarian postcard by NPG. No. 376/1. Photo by Strelisky, Budapest. Sari Fedak in 'János vitéz' (John the Valiant, 1904).
The overwhelming success of 'János vitéz' surprised even its creators. The audience cheered and laughed, and during Bagó's movingly beautiful song, even tears were shed here and there. When the song was over, the audience demanded a reprise, but it took a while, because Mihály Papp, who played Bagó, had tears streaming down his face, the conductor József Konti was searching for his handkerchief, and even the composer Pongrác Kacsóh's eyes were watering.
Hungarian postcard by NPG, no. 0117/6, 1906. Sári Fedák in the stage operetta 'Leányka' at the Népszínház (People's Theatre), Budapest.
Sári Fedák became one of the most famous prima donnas of her time. The temperamental operetta and film star was mixed up in several scandals. Fedák was the well-paid star in a disastrous stage production of popular playwright Paul Widor, which ruined him and caused his suicide. According to an article in The Los Angeles Herald, angry crowds stormed her house and threatened her with death if she fell into their hands...
Hungarian postcard by NPG, no. 0123/12, 1906. Photo: Strelisky, Budapest.
Hungarian postcard by NPG. Photo: Strelisky, Budapest. Sári Fedák and Márton Rátkai in the stage operetta 'Leányvásár' (Girls For Sale) which premiered in 1911 at the Király Színház (Royal Theatre) in Budapest.
Sári Fedák left Hungary and conquered Berlin in 1908, Vienna in 1909, and London and Paris in 1910. When she returned to Budapest in 1911 the public welcomed her back. In 1912, she made her film debut in the short comedy Gazdag ember kabátja/Rich Man’s Coat (Andor K. Kovács, 1912) based on a story by the famous Hungarian playwright and novelist Ferenc Molnár.
Hungarian postcard by NPG. Photo: Strelisky, Budapest. Sári Fedák in 'the stage operetta A Babuska' (The Babushka).
The next year, Sári Fedák co-starred with Alfréd Deésy in Rablélek (1913), directed by Mihály Kertész who later became the famous Hollywood director Michael Curtiz. In the film Márta (Ödön Uher ifj., 1913), Fedák co-starred with Várkonyi Mihály, who became internationally known as Victor Varconi.
Hungarian postcard by KIV, Budapest. Photo: Strelisky, Budapest.
Another silent film was Három hét/Three Weeks (Márton Garas, 1917), based on a novel by Elinor Glyn. Following World War I, she spoke out against the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. In 1919, during the short run of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, she agitated for joining the Red Army. After the fall of the Republic, Fedák fled to Vienna but was captured and held in prison at Wiener Neustadt for a short time. As a supporter of the Republic, she could play only in Vienna in 1920 and 1921.
Sándor Strelisky
Sándor Strelisky (1851-1923), the son of Lipót Strelisky, learned the craft from his father. Lipót was the official photographer of the German theatre in Pest, and Sándor grew up spending his evenings at the theatre. From 1880 on, their photographs no longer include a first name, only the last name of the family -Strelisky. In 1890, at the Budapest Commercial and Exchange Court, the photography company was now registered in the name of Sándor Sterlisky, and by this time he was the head of his father's Dorottya Street studio. The exclusive photographic rights of the Millennium Exhibition were granted to eight professional representatives, so Károly Divald Jr., István Goszleth, György Klösz, the descendants of Károly Koller (Román Forché and István Gálfy), Mertens and Co., Manó Mai and Szigeti, Sándor Strelisky, and Antal Weinwurm. Sándor Strelisky was still working with his father at the exhibition.
The Vasárnapi Ujság regularly published photos of the millennium events by the Strelisky studio. Sándor had a significant role in making group photos. In his studio, he photographed each character separately in a pre-choreographed position and then assembled the multi-figure image from these individual shots. At that time, it was not possible to take real ball shots just because of the lack of lighting. The 1897 photo entitled 'Udvari Bál' (Court Ball) is also the result of a montage. The artist placed the characters photographed one by one in a recording of the ceremonial hall of the Buda Castle. His photographs were published in the photographic magazines Magyar Fényképészek Lapja (Hungarian Photographers' Journal) and A Fény.
The fashionable photographer took advantage of his success at the turn of the century to open studios in Bratislava, Pécs and Kecskeméti Street in Pest. The managers of these studios became independent over time. The house at 9 Dorottya Street in Budapest was demolished in 1910 and a new one was soon built in its place. At the time of the move, Sándor Strelisky opened a new studio at 7–9 Vörösmarty Square (then Gizella Square), on the top floor of Gerbeaud House. His father, Lipót, has already deceased at this time. The elegant studio had a fountain, a swimming pool, several sculptures, a conservatory and a terrace where he took winter shots. There were also developing rooms, copy and retouching rooms of course. There was a glass studio, a large studio, and a bright room for interior pictures.
The Strelisky photos give a wide panorama of the Hungarian theatrical life of the time. If Sándor Strelisky was photographing actors, a sign outside the theatre always announced the next photo shoot: "Tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. photography." The next day, at 8 a.m., a huge cart would appear in front of the studio with costumes and sets that would characterize a scene from each play. The most punctual of the actors was Márton Rátkai, Gyula Csortos was always late arriving at the studio, but Sári Fedák was always the last to arrive for these photo shoots. Usually sleepy-eyed by noon, she blamed Strelisky for not being able to sleep in again. With the help of the theatre director, the sets were arranged in a large glass studio, the costume scenes and stage sets were set up, and Sándor Strelisky took about 100 shots of them on one such occasion.
The pictures were enlarged to decorate the theatre lobby and for publicity purposes. As copyright legislation also protected the photographs, the postcard entrepreneurs obtained the rights to reprint these images from Strelisky. Sándor Strelisky had a large number of clients throughout. The aftermath of the First World War left the sprouting Hungarian film industry in ruins. Many actors and directors like Michael Curtiz and Alexander Korda left the country. There was a decline in the demand for photographic studios. Sándor Strelisky ran his studio until he died in 1923. Under the direction of his widow, the company survived until 1940 and then ceased to exist.
Hungarian postcard by NPG, no. S 2/2. Photo: Strelisky, Budapest. Gizella Mészáros and Gyula Csortos in the play 'Gretchen'. It was Csortos' first play at the Magyar Színház (Hungarian Theatre) in 1908.
Gizella Mészáros (1877–1953) aka Giza Mészáros was a Hungarian actress and the mother of Paulette Mészáros. From 15 November 1907, she joined the Magyar Színháze. The Fővárosi Hírlap described her in 1916 as "A great actress. She is clever, witty, has an excellent sense of humour, a lovely voice, and is even a sight to behold, which is not a last resort at night." Giza Mészáros had a modest film career in the 1910s, starting with Egy csók története (Sándor Góth, 1912), which starred her partner Gyula Csortos. Gyula József Csortos (1883-1945) appeared in 80 films between 1912 and 1944.
Hungarian postcard. Photo: Strelisky, Budapest, 1913. Lili Berky in the operetta 'Aranyesö' composed by Béla Zerkovitz and with libretto by Adolf Mérei and Izor Béldia, first staged in 1913. Berky performed in it together with singer/comedian Horthy.
Lili Berky (1886–1958), aka Lilli Berky and Lili Berki, was a Hungarian stage and screen actress. Berky's first big film success was the silent drama Sárga csikó/The Yellow Foal (Félix Vanyl, 1913). She starred in over 30 Hungarian silent films between 1913 and the late 1920s and played in an equal amount of Hungarian sound films, mainly in the 1930s and early 1940s. In 1917 she became the wife of Hungarian actor and comedian Gyula Gózon. They often performed together.
Hungarian postcard by Magyar Rotophot Tarsáság, Budapest, no. 10. Photo: Strelisky, 1917. Emmi Kosáry and Márton Rátkai in the stage operetta 'Csárdáskirálynö' (The Gypsy Princess) (1916) by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán, with a libretto by Leo Stein and Bela Jenbach.
Emmi Kosáry (1889-1964) was a Hungarian opera diva and operetta prima donna with a beautiful soprano voice. She also became a film actress, who worked in Hungary with the young Michael Curtiz. Kosáry was the wife of composer Ákos Buttykay. In 1916, she performed for the first time one of her most beloved roles, the lead role in the operetta 'Csárdáskirálynö' (Die Csárdásfürstin / The Gypsy Princess).
Hungarian postcard, no. 14. Photo: Strelisky, Budapest 1917. The stage actors Varsanyi, Csortos, Tanay, Gombaszögi, and Hegedüs pose in the photo studio of Strelisky. They appeared in the stage comedy 'Kék róka' (The Blue Fox) by Ferenc Herczeg. The play was later filmed as Der Blaufuchs/The Blue Fox (Viktor Tourjansky, 1938) with Zarah Leander.
The actors on the postcard are stage and screen actress Irén Varsányi who in 1918 played the lead in her first film, Anna Karenina, Gyula Csortos, who acted in 85 films between 1912 and his death in 1945, Frigyes Tanay, who acted in 10 Hungarian silent films, Frida Gombaszögi, who was the first Hungarian actress who represented the modern acting style in plays by Molnar, Chekhov and Gorky, and Gyula Hegedüs, who only acted in 3 silent films. Irén Varsányi (1878-1932) was once a renowned but now forgotten actress, who was one of the founders and first star of the Vígszínház Comedy Theatre in Budapest, and also acted in four Hungarian silent films. During her long and impressive career, Frida Gombaszögi (1890-1961) appeared only in two, silent films in the late 1910s.
Sources: Simon Flóra (PestBuda), Tőry Klára (Punkt - Hungarian), Szemerédi Ágnes (nemzetikonyvtar - Hungarian), Wikipedia (Hungarian and English) and IMDb.
