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PÉCSI, József Photographer (Budapest, 1st April, 1889 – Budapest, 7th October 1956) Pécsi graduated from the Photography School of Munich (Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt für Photografie, Chemiegraphie, Lichtdruck und Gravüre) in 1910. He began his participation in the photographic life of Hungary in the 1910's through the organization of exhibitions. He became a craftsman with a golden diploma in 1932 and was the vice-president of the Fényképész Ipartestület /Crafts-Union of Photographers/ of Budapest. He was furthermore a member of a number of dignified photographic associations abroad. He was most probably one of the most many-sided photographers of the first half of the 20th Century preparing portrait, nude, advertisement, as well as object d'art photography. He also prepared Cityscapes and Socio-photos. He was the Mayor of Budapest and organized the Iparrajziskola Fotográfiai Tanmûhely /Photographic Apprentice Workshop of the Industrial School of Budapest/ in 1913. Afterwards he was the leading lecturer of its successor, the Szépmíves Líceum /Secondary School of Fine Arts/ from 1947 to 1949. Between the two World Wars he upheld one of the most significant photographic private schools at his gallery in Dorottya Street. Among his pupils were Margit Bohacsek, Zsófia Brenner, Böske Forbát, René Füredi, Olga Walter, Éva Mikes, Klára Heidelberg, Éva Szabó, Juci Laub, Éva Besnyõ, Zsuzsa Pintér, Margit Kelen, and Éva Barta. Circumspect theoretical preparation combined with providing of high-level photo-technical know-how in the teaching technique of Pécsi. His first independent publication (A fény mûvészete /The art of light/, 1916) depicts in a clear manner his deep interest in art history and his affiliation to the usage of painting-like photographic techniques (picturesque). He made use of pigment, platin, albumin, oil, and brome prints, of the noble copying techniques from the 1910's. The portrait gallery, and with unmatched variety constituted a separate chapter in his over four decade career with such uniquely and psychologically authentic portrayals of great figures such as Béla Bartók, Lajos Gulácsy, Aurél Bernáth, Pál Pátzay, Ödön Márffy, Lajos Kassák, Béni Ferenczy. He had a huge influence on the photography of Hungary with his series of self-portraits. He also conducted pioneering work in the field of advertisement photography. During the course of the 1930's he reached a style of cool objectivity from his works prepared with press technique and picturesque style, making use of the lessons image architecture of Kassák, the Neue Saclichkeit movement, and the Bauhaus school. Pécsi was a seeking, that is exploratory artist, making use of, and experimenting with every newly developed technique. He also dealt with the preparation of building photos and photo-plastics. He obtained a patent for his technique labeled PEJO in 1952, which incorporated a combined duplex pigment process. His article, photo-technical reviews, aesthetic studies and exhibition critiques were published in reviews and periodicals (e.g.: A Fény /The light/, Magyar Grafika /Hungarian Graphics/, Magyar Mûvészet /Hungarian Art/, Magyar Fotográfia /Hungarian Photography/. He was the editor of the periodical entitled Magyar fotográfia /Hungarian photography/ from 1927 till 1932. The Advertisement Photo Award of the Advertisement Union and the technical library of the Mai Manó Fotográfusok Ház /Mai Manó House of Hungarian Photography/ (Pécsi József Fotográfiai Szakkönyvtár /József Pécsi Photographic Technical Library) were both named after him in 1999.