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Happy World Photography Day! Mai's Sunlight studio in the morning sun

About World Photography Day: worldphotoday.com/about

 

maimanohaz.blog.hu/2012/08/19/a_fenykepeszet_szuletese_18...

 

Budapest, Terézváros.

The notable Hungarian photographer, Mai Mano's former home and studio, now The Hungarian House of Photography, exhibition hall, bookshop and café.

Architects: Nay & Strausz, 1894. Eclectic Neo-renaissance style.

Note the cast iron windows of the Sunlight studio and the frescos around it, with the attributes of painting, photography and chemistry (aka muses of photography).

Sculptor: Róna józsef

 

www.flickr.com/photos/nora-meszoly/sets/72157645682699802

 

www.flickr.com/photos/nora-meszoly/sets/72157647652442301

 

Mai Manó House, The Hungarian House of Photography operates in a studio-house built for the commission of Mai Manó (1855-1917), Imperial and Royal Court Photographer. His eight-story studio-house and home was built in fourteen months, in 1893-94.

This special, eight-story neo-renaissance monument is unique in world architecture: we have no knowledge of any other intact turn-of-the-century studiohouse. In addition, it serves its original goal, the case of photography again.

 

Mai Manó was a professional photographer and specialist, in his time he was one of the best specialists of child portraits. His status in the professional community of that time is uncontested. He was also the founder and editor of the periodical called A Fény (The Light, launched in 1906)

The building's richly decorated neo-renaissance façade clearly served ideological purposes: Mai Manó wanted to lend a past to the young trade, hardly considered to be a form of art by anyone at that time. Take the majolica putti between the ground floor and the mezzanine or the façade paintings on the third floor showing the "six muses of photography".

 

Actual photographing took place in the Sunlight-studio on the second floor, we restored in 1996-97. During the restoration, we found the original frescoes hiding bethind the white wallpaper for decades. These used to serve as background for Mai's portraits. His studio worked in the house for four decades, until 1931. It was followed by a luxury-bar, Arizona, which was closed in 1944.

 

After the Second World War, a number of institutions and companies moved into the house and a few private apartments were separated as well. In spite of all the vicissitudes, the house kept its original character. It was declared a piece of national heritage in 1996 considering its special architecture, ornaments and industry-historical significance.

www.maimano.hu/maimanohaz_en.html

www.maimano.hu/maimanohaz_02_en.html

www.maimano.hu/maimanohaz_02.html

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zsolnay#Pyrogranite

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Uploaded on August 20, 2015
Taken on August 11, 2015