Posted 4 years ago
Pencil-nec…
(104 items)
I've been trying to attribute this real photo postcard to a specific funambulist (tightrope walker) daredevil. It appears to be autographed with a fountain pen, but the florid sig is unreadable to me and impossible to capture on a scan. The only clue on the card is that is was manufactured in Hungary and appears to be from the first decade of the 1900s or so with a divided back.
I'm hoping the international clientele hear at CW might at least recognize the town square pictured to help me narrow my search. The building on the right side has some specific design details that might help. Also note the hills in the background. Buda, looking toward Pest, perhaps? I don't know... never been there.
We can eliminate the Wallendas, I think - Karl didn't perform until the mid 20s. And it doesn't appear to be The Great Blondin, who is credited with inventing the bicycle tightwire act - he was dead by then.
Have at it, folks - any help to provide?
Pest is the best candidate; old town Buda in the background and the fact it was printed there.
Thanks, Ivan49 - I thought I had read somewhere recently that Buda was on a flat(er) plain and that Pest was on more hilly topography. Maybe I got that reversed?
I would like to make a point. Budapest was bombed to pieces by America & Russia. Place blame where blame is due.
More of these postcards are still in circulation. Maybe this extra photo will help in your search.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353107440805?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338722076&toolid=10001
Thanks for that 'get', mp.kunst. Some good info written on the back of that card you linked. Couldn't get google to translate it all, but the second and third lines read "Rope Dancer Signature" (I think).
The first line *might* be the funambulist's name, but it doesn't line up with the signature as I see it.
My example has minimal printing on the back compared to the ebay example (no stamp square, for example) which makes me think it is an earlier version.
I guess it will remain unsolved unless a Hungarian stops by....
When I translate the text (a túloldalon a kötéltáncos sk aláírása) Google comes up with: "on the other side the signature of the rope dancer SK". Which could mean that the monogram of the rope dancer is SK. On the other hand, maybe not.
Same rope, same buildings but other act and better photo.
https://www.darabanth.com/hu/gyorsarveres/271/kategoriak~Kepeslapok/Tortenelmi-Magyarorszag~200004/Fiume-Szinhaz-koteltancos-a-levegoben-theatre-Tightrope-walker-acrobat-in-the-air~II1368286/
In the web adres you can see the word Fiume and that is a city in Croatia. We know it as the city Rijeka. In Rijeka is a Theater and that is the buiding you an see on the right of the tightrope walker picture.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatian_National_Theatre_Ivan_pl._Zajc_in_Rijeka
Same people think it is Artur Strohschneider on the photo and it is his autograph.
https://www.darabanth.com/en/major-auction/40/categories~Postcards/Circus~16481/Strohschneider-Artur-testneveles-tanar-koteltancos-mutatvanya-a-fiumei-szinhaz-felett-plus-por~II2871781
This is his mysterious history:
https://24.hu/kultura/2020/08/06/strohschneider-artur-koteltancos-ismeretlen-budapest/