Description
Assembled by Michael Simon during his research on Hungarian photography, this extensive collection of photographs documents
the development of the medium with a range of photographic processes and the history of the art form in Hungary. Through photography
the collection also documents Hungary's tumultuous history over the course of almost 150 years.
Background
Michael Simon, collector, art historian and photographer, was born in 1936 in Budapest, Hungary. His father died during World
War II, and he and his mother emigrated to the United States in 1956. He studied at the Technical University of Budapest and
Pennsylvania State University. Michael Simon married his wife, Carol in 1961. Simon worked in advertising as an editorial
photographer before accepting a position as professor of art at Beloit College, Wisconsin, in 1968 where he taught courses
on photography. Simon then earned his Masters of Fine Arts from Rochester Institute of Technology and eventually became chairman
of the department of Art & Art History at Beloit. During a sabbatical from Beloit College in 1977, Simon began his project
to comprehensively research the history of Hungarian photography. He interviewed photographers and visited many libraries
and museum collections, nationally and internationally. Over 25 years, his research resulted in a significant collection of
photographs by Hungarian photographers. Often the photographs were gifts from an artist or an institution. Simon's research
culminated in the publication of his book, Összehasonltó Magyar Fotótörténet.
Extent
29.3 Linear Feet
(38 boxes, 1 flat-file folder)
Restrictions
Contact Library Reproductions and Permissions.
Availability
Open for use by qualified researchers, except audio visual materials, which are unavailable until reformatted.