The “Thousandth Circus Art Book” has arrived at the Hungarian Circus Art Museum – Library and Archive, which operates under the auspices of the National Circus Art Center. The ceremonial acceptance into the collection took place in connection with World Science Day. On this occasion a press conference and a ceremonial placing on the bookshelf took place within a ceremonial commemorative plaque inaugurated. Present at the ceremony were Máté Gábor Vincze – Deputy Secretary of State for Public Collections and Cultural Development of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, dr. habile Péter Kiszl – Head of the department, associate professor, director of the ELTE BTK Library and Information Science Institute, Pál Ritoók – architectural historian, Head of the Museum Department of the Hungarian Architecture Museum and Documentation Center for Monument Protection, Emese Joó – Chief museologist head of the museum of the National Circus Arts Center and Péter Szóllás – Head of the Library and Archives Department of the State Secretariat for Culture of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation
Péter Fekete, National Circus Arts Center director general open the ceremony by saying …”Q” Back seven years ago we decided the importance to create a scientific repository in the middle of Europe, in Hungary, which serves not only Hungarian circus art and/or Central Europe, but the whole of Europe as a museum, database and library” Also told that Europe’s leading circus art institution cannot operate without a scientific background, research center, museum and library and dreamed of establishing a database scientific museum. The dream came true on October, 24, 2022., celebrating School Libraries Day, when the thousandth book arrived from France: Baron de Vaux: Ecuyers et écuyères. Histoire des cirques d’Europe (1680-1891). The rarity of the circus history book in French, decorated with 280 portraits and illustrations, was published in Paris in 1893. The book from Pascal Jacob’s circus history book collection is currently one of the most valuable 19th-century volumes in the circus library of the National Circus Arts Center.
The first book festival of the National Circus Arts Center was enriched by artistic productions. The 1000th circus art book was brought to the stage by Angelina Ádám – horse acrobat and equestrian, and young artist Dmitrii Markin placed it on the top shelf of the 6-meter circus library bookshelf with the help of a Persian pole.
The director-general said that pieces from the museum’s collection are presented in a permanent exhibition at the Capital Circus, and most of the library’s collection can be searched in the online catalog through the: https://konyvtar.circus.hu./.
The circus director’s main motto… “It is not possible to build the future without respecting and knowing the past.”
The event ended with the inauguration of a ceremonial plaque placed on the occasion of the founding of the scientific library and the addition of the book THOUSANDTH to the library collection. Visitors to the circus can also view the plaque in the inner facade. The writer, literary historian, translator – Mihály Babits’ thought can be read on the granite plaque at the Capital Circus: “Art is a precious collection of sensations and feelings, and science is a precious collection of concepts that have settled down from them.
These booklets will certainly be an awesome guide not only for future seasoned artists, but also for interest of lovers of circus art.
Riport and snaps by Aggie Reiter
Rolling in Budapest 