Zprávy památkové péče 2016, 76(1):39-48

Everyday life of the nobility as reflected in the Andrássy photo collection (Nobility of the 19th and early 20th centuries)

Katarína Takácsová

Based on the preserved collection of photos of the Andrássy family, which we may consider complete, we get a vivid picture of the life of the aristocracy during the late 19th to the early 20th centuries. The necessity remains of connecting this type of media with other collection items that come from the family's collections. The castle in Betliar, after the last owners left in 1944, fell victim to the war, theft, and state collections. The photographs remained a part of the historical mobiliary, in the drawers of precious furniture, hidden in the castle library and elsewhere in the castle. Professionally taken photographs or images achieving some artistic quality (studio portraits, images of objects, landscapes and interiors, and antiques) were not all that were preserved; part of our fund also comes from amateur photography. One of the Andrássy family members often stood behind the lens, namely Count Gejza I. Andrássy (1856-1938) and his sons, Karol (1888-1910) and Emanuel II. (1892-1953), who mostly created their own photo albums and photo collections from travels and hunting.
The richness of the fund is reflected not only in the number of photos, but especially through their thematic diversity. Preserved photos include exterior and interior views of buildings and property that the Andrássy family owned. Their family seat was the castle in Betliar, and they also resided in the castle in Parchovany, their palace in Budapest, and used the hunting lodge in Súľová for recreation. The family traveled frequently, visiting their relatives and acquaintances, so their amateur photographs are helpful in recognizing many other residences, cities, and destinations, as well as members of other families. Recurring scenes (events) in the photographs show the frequency and consistency of the some of their customs. For example, the Andrássy family spent the dance ball season in Budapest, where in addition to organized balls they also attended various other prestigious events such as picnics and masquerade balls. One of the most important events of the year, full of visitors, was the hunting season which began in autumn. Grand and glorious hunts, arranged by the Andrássy family, saw the participation of the most important representatives of domestic and foreign aristocrats, including members of ruling families. Many of them caught their first bear in the Betliar domain itself, where they were then dubbed "bear hunters".
The family's wealth also permitted them increased mobility and the freedom to travel. Their expeditions mainly sprung from a desire to see new countries, self-education and the acquisition of new knowledge, to participate in hunts, sports activities, and competitions, or simply in pursuit of relaxation. In Europe, the members of the Betliar branch most frequently visited areas of Bohemia, Austria, and Germany, but more distant countries as well, such as Great Britain, France and Belgium. The Adriatic coast, at the time part of the monarchy, was a popular destination for the nobility. Outside Europe, the family visited Egypt several times, bringing back "souvenirs" that are now in the museum. Count Gejza I. also carried out trips to America (1881) and Sudan (1911), from which he brought back various items, trophies, and photo albums, but also sketches and cartoons.
The Andrássy family, as leading representatives of the Hungarian nobility, also participated to a large degree in the sporting life of their country and held many important positions. Gróf Gejza I., who bred excellent breeds, is even considered to be the founder of horse polo in Hungary and is still referred to as one of the "Hungarian leaders of modern sports". The family was active mainly in tennis, golf, cricket, sailing, and winter sports such as skiing, sledding, ice skating, and hockey. They also held a great interest in derby and motoring. They took part in many competitions, shown by the collection of hunting and sporting awards preserved in the Betliar castle. One of the most important sporting events that the family visited (as spectators) was for example the Olympic Games in Stockholm in July 1912.
All these activities are illustrated in the historical photographs preserved in the Betliar castle. This collection is still being formed with each new discovery, so after it has been processed, museum professionals will be able to produce more complete conclusions. This study, devoted to amateur photography, is just one of many efforts to acquaint researchers with the extensive content of the Andrássy photo collections preserved at the Betliar castle.

Keywords: Photographs; nobility; aristocratic residences; Andrássy; Betliar; travel; sports; hunting trips

Published: March 1, 2016  Show citation