43 illustrations depicting the story of János Vitéz (John the Valiant) drawn in Pécs, Hungary, by special needs high school students, many from the Beash Roma community, under the instruction of art teacher Ildikó Fodor in the 1980s.

In 2001, an Hungarian--English--Beash Roma edition of János Vitéz was released. Funded by the Dévi Foundation in Pécs (Devi Art Alapítvány), the book includes the text of the poem in the three languages: the original Hungarian of Sándor Petőfi, John Ridland's English translation, and a translation into Beash (the Roma dialect of the region around Pécs) by Anna Orsós. In addition to the parallel translations, the book features over 50 illustrations of various episodes within the poem, drawn in Pécs by special needs high school students, many of whom were Beash Roma, under the instruction of art teacher Ildikó Fodor in the 1980s, as part of her pedagogical approach focusing on creativity and imagination in learning. Exhibited in Budapest in 2001, 43 of these drawings eventually came to the UC Santa Barbara Library's Special Research Collections in 2017, through a donation of Ildikó Fodor.

16 linear feet (4 map cabinet drawers)

Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Research Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Research Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Research Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.

The drawings are still framed in their original mattings, which are unstable. Please contact Special Research Collections staff for more information.