In the long term it is my intention to write a book about Willy Pogany. I have done quite a lot of research & have a good collection of his books & magazines. As time allows I will post information about him, I would be delighted to hear from anyone with a good knowledge & interest in this wonderful artist. Much more later.
Many of the stories about Willy Pogany are not true, whether he promoted these days I do not know. I have been told that he was very dismissive of enquiries into his past.
To my mind the great mystery is how did he get his first UK commission? It is said that he arrived in Britain with a letter of recommendation from the great Orientalist, Arminius Vambery. But why would such a letter get him a commission to illustrate a book? Communication with the publishers was not very good because they credited the illustrator as 'Sarcadi Pogany' rather than 'Willy'.
It would seem reasonable that he had produced some striking commercial work during his earlier years in Hungary, Germany & France. A few books have turned up but nothing especially remarkable, certainly nothing good enough to persuade a British publisher to commission a book from him.
The decade Pogany spent in London was a time of great achievement & he seems to have acquired a wide and distinguished circle of acquaintances. It would be very interesting to hear from anyone who can fill out this period of his life.
Pogany signature
Sorry, I can't and this man was my Great Grandfather. I know that he painted the Frescoe's at the Hurst estate up near Red Bluff at the Wyntoon Estate which my Grandfather John Pogany restored back in 1981.
ReplyDeleteMichael I tried to contact rarerobin but I did not receive any response. I am one of the Feichtmanns and I have been researching our shared family history in Hungary. I'm not sure how you will receive notice of this posting but if you do please respond. Thanks, Sue
DeleteHi Michael
ReplyDeleteSome years ago I met a son of John Pogany, a retired Fireman, John W Pogany, who lived in the area south of Seatle. Would that have been your Father?
Much about the same time I met a Mr Feichtman, a Pogany relative, who lived in Pasadena, California. From him I learned a great deal of interesting information about Willy. I will start posting this fairly soon, in the hopes of filling in gaps.
Willy Pogany was a remarkable, multi-talented artist, who produced some wonderful illustrated which enthrall and inspire many people. A full book about him is long overdue,
Michael and rarerobin my name is Susan (Feichtmann) Madsen and I have been researching the Feichtmann family ancestry. Willy Pogany is my Great Uncle the half brother of my Grandfather Jacob Louis Feichtmann. You met my Uncle George Feichtmann who died in 2002. My father Howard Feichtmann and George met Peter David Pogany Scott shortly before he died in 2001. Peter did not know about the Feichtmann side of the family Willy never spoke of it. Willy was born Vilmos Andreas Feuchtmann (Feichtmann) son of Jozeph S. Feuchtmann and Helen Paula Kolisch, his third wife. My grandfather was Jozeph first child born in 1870 with Rozsa Guttman (1849-1877). Jozeph died in 1890. The family at some point changed their surname to Pogany. According to the records that I have he officially changed his name in the US in 1923. I have a copy of his 1908 marriage registration to Lilian Rose Doris and he states his father is Joseph Feichtmann Pogany. I would love to know what Michael knows about his family.
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