Red Stars – chamber exhibition

Printer-friendly versionPDF version
2019/03/19 - 2019/10/12

 

The unknown showgirls in National Széchényi Library!

On March 19, 2019, a sequel to the highly successful exhibition on the Pest entertainment industry between the two world wars will be opened in National Széchényi Library. Entitled Red Stars – Entertainment industry and socialist revues in the Rákosi Era, the exhibition to be launched by the Theater Collection of NSZL is based on a recently published book by Dr. Dániel Molnár, bearing the same title.

  • What happened to the world famous night clubs of Pest of the 1930s after 1945?
  • How erotic was a socialist revue?
  • How were the playgrounds of City Park transformed?
  • Which actress traded denunciation to the State Protection Authority for a career?

The better-be-forgotten Stalinist stage shows of the 1950s featured a number of still well-known stars (Hanna Honthy, Alfonso alias József Markos, the Latabár brothers, etc.), as well as performers who were not particularly well-known even then. Some of the performers have later become popular and renowned performers (József Romhányi, György Szilágyi, Iván Szenes, György Klapka, etc.). Political elite of the era regarded theater only as a means of spreading its own propaganda. So they tried to provide the previously “just” entertainment shows with “content”.

The exhibition will present these shows via never before seen original photos and memorabilia, and it will also be shown what course the career of favored and banned actresses, revue stars took in this era.

Curator of the exhibition: Dr. Dániel Molnár

Venue of the exhibition: National Széchényi Library, H-1014 Budapest, Wing “F” of Buda Royal Palace, Floor 6, Catalog space adjacent to the Theater Collection and the Music Collection.

The exhibition will be open from March 19, 2019 until October 12, 2019, Tuesday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Visitors who are not registered readers of the Library can visit all of our temporary chamber exhibitions for a flat entrance fee of HUF 400.

Invitation card (in Hungarian)

The opening ceremony in pictures