WILLY POGÁNY PAPERS

de Grummond Children's Literature Collection
The University of Southern Mississippi

	Creator:	William Andrew Pogány
	Title:	Willy Pogány Papers
	Dates:	[ca. 1916-1955]
	Quantity:	3.40 cubic feet (2 map drawers & 1 box)
	Identification:	DG0785

Biographical Note

William Andrew Pogány was born in Szeged, Hungary, on August 24, 1882, to Joseph Stephen and Helena Paula (Kolis) Pogány. He studied to be a mechanical engineer at the Budapest Technical Institute, but, finding engineering not to his liking, left to attend the Budapest Academy of Art. After a brief stay at the academy, he went to Paris to pursue an artistic career. He lived poorly for a time before moving to London around 1904. Pogány found more success in London where, in addition to his other artwork, he first began illustrating children's books. In 1908 he married Lillian Rose Doris, with whom he had two sons.

The couple moved to New York City in 1914 where Pogány illustrated books, painted murals and portraits, and designed stage settings and costumes. He became a naturalized citizen in 1921. Although reluctant at first, Pogány moved to Hollywood where he served as an art director for several film studios during the 1930s and 1940s. He divorced his first wife in 1933 and married writer Elaine Cox the following year. Pogány worked primarily at portrait painting in his later years. He died in New York City on July 30, 1955.

Sources:
The Junior Book of Authors, ed. Stanley J. Kunitz and Howard Haycraft, 2nd ed. (New York: H. W. Wilson, 1951), 246-247.
Something About the Author, ed. Anne Commire (Detroit: Gale Research, 1986), 44:140-149.

Scope and Content Note

The Willy Pogány Papers contain paintings and pencil and ink illustrations created and accumulated by Willy Pogány between about 1916 and 1955. Pogány's papers were created from his illustration of two published books and his creation of ten other illustrations. The material is organized into two series: Books and Illustrations.

The Books Series contains two pencil illustrations for Pogány's popular how-to book, Drawing Lessons (1946; reissued as The Art of Drawing in 1969), although the illustrations likely were made for an earlier unidentified book. The series also includes a painting for an edition of Edward FitzGerald's translation of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám published probably sometime between 1930 and 1945.

The Illustrations Series contains ten illustrations created for various purposes, not all of them known. It includes ink illustrations for Christmas cards, pencil and ink drawings of unidentified women, and a framed painting of the Battle of Jericho made possibly for Bible Stories to Read and Tell by Frances Jenkins Olcott (1916).

Restrictions

Restrictions on Use

Noncirculating; available for research.

Copyright Restrictions

The collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). Reproductions can be made only if they are to be used for "private study, scholarship, or research." It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials, other than that noted above.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Willy Pogány Papers, de Grummond Children's Literature Collection, University of Southern Mississippi Libraries, (Cite the item's box/folder numbers).

Provenance

The provenance of the Willy Pogány Papers is unknown.

Processing Information

Processed by Hans Rasmussen, June 2003. Encoded into EAD Version 1.0 by Danielle L. Bishop. This finding aid is the product of a grant funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Container Listing

Contact:
The de Grummond Children's Literature Collection
The University of Southern Mississippi
118 College Drive, #5148
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
(601) 266-4349
Comments and Questions

This page is maintained by the de Grummond Collection.
The University of Southern Mississippi
AA/EOE/ADAI