Cultural Studies paper by Németh, György
The Life and Times of Francis F. Dobo: archiving his remarkable estate and collection (Accepted)
Type of Abstract (select): Paper presentationAbstract (max. 250 words):
This is a presentation on my on-going archival project relating to Francis F. Dobo, his relationship to Hungarian photographers and his newly discovered archive of original works. Dobo was a lifelong friend and affiliated with noted Hungarian Street Photographers, Brassaï and André Kertész. During his early years in Paris, late 1920s to early 1930s, Dobo also befriended, writer and artist émigrés such as Ylla, Ergy Landau, Henri Nouveau, Paul Winkler, Lajos Tihanyi and Frederic Littman, as well as Composers Paul Arma and Tibor Harsányi. Eventually he formed a smaller, intimate clique with four of his closest friends, Novelist Henry Miller, Brassaï, Writer Alfred Perlés and Impressionist Painter Hans Reichel. It was also during this time that, as a Literary Agent, he was instrumental in the publication of the first works by French authors Céline and Raymond Queneau. I am currently mid-way through a project to archive the significant collection of never published correspondence, rare books, possibly unseen artworks, personal diaries and other materials. The present owner of the collection is Francis’ son, Michael Dobo.The presentation will discuss the life of Francis Dobo and the current state of the archival project, as well as share a selection of some of the most interesting findings to date.
Előadás magyarul.
Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
György Németh, currently a visiting scholar at Quinnipiac University, studied at the University of Pécs. He is a freelance academic researcher studying the history of photography. Much of his work over the past several years has been on behalf of The Hungarian House of Photography in Budapest. His area of interest has focused on researching the diaspora of notable Twentieth Century Hungarian émigré photographers and their networks of friends and associates. His main area of interest has centered upon the Hungarian photographers who were working in 1930s Paris – including André Kertész, Brassaï, Ylla, Nora Dumas and Ergy Landau – and their subsequent career paths throughout the remainder of their lives.