Az Országgyűlési Múzeum (1923‒1949) karikatúragyűjteménye
The Caricature Collection of the Museum of the National Assembly (1923‒1949)

Summary/Abstract: This study examines the caricature collection of the Museum of the National Assembly, which existed between 1923 and 1949. It was created by the regime in power between the two World Wars for propaganda purposes. The core assumption of the study is that the regime used political caricatures as a form of self-representation, therefore the way the institution operated was strongly determined by political and ideological factors. The study discusses the organization of the collection and the exhibitions showcasing the works along these ideas. By examining the circumstances of the acquisition of the caricatures, the social status of the previous owners, the artists, and their political affiliations, and of course the caricatures themselves, the study attempts to answer the question how purposefully the museum used its caricature collection as an instrument of propaganda. It also aims to call attention to this unique collection of the Museum of the National Assembly, which has barely been researched before. By creating a collection of more than 1500 items and collecting and examining these caricatures in a scientific manner as historical sources, political caricatures entered the spotlight of political history research in Hungary for the first time. The primary sources of the study were archival documents regarding the Museum of the National Assembly, contemporary press releases, and the caricature collection itself, which remained intact almost in its entirety and is currently available for research in the Graphic Collection of the Hungarian National Museum.

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