Inkey Tibor: A 70-Year Career in Photography & Hungary’s Past
The work of Hungarian photographer Tibor Inkey, who passed away in , spans seven decades. A recent retrospective of his work, highlighted by interviews conducted around his milestone birthdays, reveals a remarkably direct career path. Though he impulsively became a photographer’s assistant at age thirteen, he built a life within the craft without deviation. He trained as a portrait photographer and worked in that capacity for years before transitioning to become a stand photographer, spending decades on the sets of Hungarian and foreign film productions.
But what does a stand photographer do? During filming, after scenes are shot, they pose the actors and take photographs for advertising and posters. Inkey noted that he often photographed scenes from entirely different angles than the film’s cinematographer. Until the , this involved posing the actors; only later, with advancements in technology, could photographers work while the scene was being filmed. When one thinks of Katalin Karády, the iconic image is one captured by Inkey. His portraits were consistently praised for their lifelike quality, ensuring that no subject appeared two-dimensional. There’s a curious, inquisitive journalistic eye at play in his work. Alongside stand photography, he worked as a photojournalist for six years, and nearly 1500 images from that period have recently been added to the Fortepan archive. These images are witnesses to the tense calm before the storm of war.
A photograph of a group standing in front of the Budapest airport building could easily serve as an illustration in a Vilmos Kondor novel. The identities of the people in the image are unknown, but multiple photographs of them exist. Further images reveal that they arrived in Budapest on a KLM DC-2, a twin-engine aircraft, with uniformed security guards visible in the background.
Another image depicts a group gathered at what appears to be a memorial, possibly a wreath-laying ceremony. Interestingly, a German soldier in imperial uniform stands among civilians, with a boy wearing a cap resembling that of the Levente movement visible in the center of the frame. Membership in the Levente required a minimum age of twelve, and the boy is close to that age, a feather tucked into his cap.
Yet another photograph features a woman adjusting her garter, surrounded by flowers and applying lipstick. The image pushes the boundaries of good taste for the era. Inkey may or may not have worn glasses, as they don’t appear in other photos. Perhaps they were steamed up or otherwise obstructed his view. Many of these provocative images later ended up in the inner pockets of military tunics.
A photograph shows sculptor Jenő Grantner working on the main figure of the Kuno Klebelsberg memorial. The sculpture closely resembles the clay models shown in the image. The most striking difference between the final sculpture, now located on Villányi Road, and the model is Klebelsberg’s left hand, which is being worked on by the artist. In the final version, his fingers are closed. The allegories of art and science remain largely unchanged.
A game of ice hockey is depicted in a photograph taken on Hősök ter (Heroes’ Square). The American Kimberley Dynamiters are playing, possibly against the Hungarian national team. Notably, a wooden plank roughly six inches wide is used to prevent the puck from causing ankle injuries, and to avoid lengthy searches. Players are not wearing helmets or face protection, and neither are the spectators.
A photograph shows the Hungarian national team playing a friendly match against Germany. The playing field, the same size as a soccer pitch but distinguished by its markings, was used for handball until , when the sport moved indoors. The Hungarian men’s team reached the bronze medal match at the World Championship, potentially with many of the players shown in this image.
Another image depicts a group of men at what appears to be a training exercise for air raid wardens. The aircraft fuselage is likely a mock-up, and the extinguishing of a simulated fire is being expertly handled with a hat and leather jacket.
A photograph shows Dr. Béla Lehoczky, chief physician, and nurses Medveczky Gabriella and Tatár Margit, the first Hungarian female paratroopers. The image was taken in , a year before Inkey Tibor narrowly escaped a fatal plane crash. In , fourteen journalists were scheduled to take a flight. Inkey was already on board when he relinquished his seat at the urging of a late-arriving colleague. The plane crashed in the Hortobágy, and there were no survivors.
A photograph from shows a dancer, presumably practicing a penché pose in stage shoes and costume. Though the war had been underway for a year, its direct effects were not yet felt. Citizens, burdened by grim news during the day, continued to attend the opera, movies, concerts, and nightclubs in the evenings. Inkey Tibor may have been capturing a moment from a revue performance on a lavish dance floor.
A photograph from depicts Péter Décsi, a thirteen-year-old prodigy, conducting an orchestra. According to contemporary reports, Décsi was already conducting at age thirteen in , making him sixteen or seventeen years old by . The image itself appears to date from earlier. Child prodigies were a common phenomenon in the cultural life of 20th-century Europe. Décsi’s father was a successful neurologist, and his mother a pianist, and they seemingly funded their son’s unusual passion. He prepared for his debut concert using gramophone records and sheet music. Details of his later career are scarce, but reports indicate he was contracted for a Balkan tour by a Bulgarian impresario. His fate remains unknown, but the photograph is a masterpiece. The composition is strikingly modern, even after ninety years. It captures the boy who perhaps believed he was a conductor, standing in front of a cabinet with every compartment locked, a simple chair, and a slightly off-kilter composition.
A photograph from shows members of the National Front Fighter Association. Founded in and officially recognized in , the organization comprised veterans of World War I who had received the Charles Cross, meaning they had spent at least twelve weeks on the front lines in active combat. The association’s primary goals were to foster camaraderie, provide mutual assistance, and advocate for its members’ interests.
A photograph depicts a woman in a hospital or sanatorium, accompanied by an elegant couple and a doctor in a white coat. The woman’s unusual footwear is striking, and the man’s rumpled pajamas are curious. The photograph, with its subtle imperfections, feels authentically alive even after nearly nine decades.
A photograph shows a flag, likely bearing the insignia of the Hungarian National Socialist Party (MNSZP). However, the party was dissolved in , and Szálasi was briefly imprisoned. By , the party was operating under the name of the Arrow Cross Party. The flag likely dates from before the dissolution.
A photograph shows a man in a lacquered leather cap brushing the trunk of an elephant at the Budapest Zoo. It may be Sziám, the zoo’s legendary elephant at the time. The zoo miraculously survived the bombing of Budapest with minimal damage. However, the siege proved fatal. The few animals that survived the shelling were eaten by the city’s starving population.
A photograph shows a dancer, likely rehearsing a penché pose in stage shoes and costume. Though the war had been underway for a year, its direct effects were not yet felt. Citizens, burdened by grim news during the day, continued to attend the opera, movies, concerts, and nightclubs in the evenings. Inkey Tibor may have been capturing a moment from a revue performance on a lavish dance floor.