Written records

The documentary archive and library stores, catalogues and makes accessible documents, articles and publications that were gathered unsystematically in several different places. The subject matter is not confined to the Herend Porcelain Manufactory or Herend Porcelain. All materials on porcelain and ceramics are willingly included. Almost all the publications of the main specialist writers on porcelain are available, including those of Győző Sikota, Sándor Mihalik, Imre Katona, Klára Marik Tasnádi and many others. There are plenty of interesting rarities in the collection. These include the books of Jenő Farkasházy Fischer on the Renaissance terracotta-making Della Robbia family, and on the life and works of the 16th-century French potter Bernard de Palissy. Other interesting items include a letter from Jenő Farkasházy Fischer to the Swiss Landesmuseum, a copy of the patent of nobility received by Mór Fischer, the Farkasházy Fischer family coat of arms, and documents received from descendants of Vince Stingl.

Written records

One important line of enquiry is into the prominent customers of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, including biographies and photographs. Among the many biographies available is one of Alexander von Humboldt, the 19th-century German scientist. Here, the invaluable source materials include three 19th-century cashbooks, which have been fully digitalized, to preserve the originals. These record the times and details of sales to a great many famous men and women.

Another field awaiting more detailed exploration is information about the many designers and artists who have worked at Herend. Among them have been some of the country's foremost artists, including Zsigmond Kisfaludi Strobl, Kata Gácser, István Lőrincz, Jenő Hanzély, János Tóth, and many, many others. The records contain a great deal of still unexplored information about them and their activity here. Already compiled is register of Herend artworks and the artists who designed them. There is a collection of correspondence between the manufactory and its artists. Several artists who worked for Herend feature in the section entitled Artists of Veszprém County.

The visual archive

The collection of photographs and transparencies held by the Herend Porcelain Museum sets out to collect, catalogue, identify and store for posterity depictions of the exceptionally beautiful works of art made at Herend and of the vast and expanding range of Herend products.

The task is not confined to present-day Herend Porcelain, of course. It is extremely important to use the evidence of photographs to survey and research into the manufactory's past as well. The collection includes almost 500 glass negatives, of which paper prints have been made for reproduction. Many of these important items in the collection date from the early 20th century. Among them are portraits of workers, as well as photos of working processes, buildings and art objects.

The porcelain mark found on the base is extremely important for identification, since it helps to date the piece. The museum plans to photograph all the existing Herend marks found in its own collections and in other museums and private collections, as a way of documenting them.

The visual archive

It is instructive to know what the working conditions were like at Herend in the past. Photographs found and incorporated into the collection provide a great deal of information on this. The information in archive photographs is especially relevant because similar craft methods are used to make Herend Porcelain to this day.

It is instructive to know what the working conditions were like at Herend in the past. Photographs found and incorporated into the collection provide a great deal of information on this. The information in archive photographs is especially relevant because similar craft methods are used to make Herend Porcelain to this day.

These days, a photographic record is made of every important occasion and event at the manufactory or the museum: alteration works, new products, visits by celebrities etc. The past will be as important for posterity as it is for us.

The visual archive

The importance and significance of the collection is obvious. Several exhibitions drawn from it have been held over the years, centring on Herend and on its porcelain factory. The archives also provide pictures and documents to accompany displays of porcelain at home and abroad. There are more than 10000 negatives and positives, of which over 2000 are transparencies.

The visual collection at the Herend Porcelain Museum would be most grateful for the chance to copy any photographs of old Herend Porcelain or connected with Herend. Copies are made of these and the originals returned to the owner. Offers of this kind and research requests are dealt with by appointment.

The video archive

This important section of the records of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory archives moving pictures to do with Herend. The video archive plays an important part in recording events associated with the Herend Porcelain Museum, for instance exhibition openings. All such events have been recorded on video in recent years and stored as edited video tapes.

One event of special significance was the opening of the Porcelanium Herend Visitor Center in 1999. Footage was recorded of the press launch of the facility and of the presentation of the Porcelanium at the Travel 2000 trade fair in Budapest.

There have been prominent figures in public life associated with the Herend Porcelain Manufactory almost since its foundation. Nowadays there are frequent visits by celebrities (such as the Thai Princess and her husband) and these are recorded on video for posterity in most cases.

The video archive

A quite new and perhaps daring innovation was made at the Herend Porcelain Manufactory not long ago: the Herend Show. This was a choreographed parade in which Herend porcelain painters and throwers appeared instead of professional dancers, presenting porcelain pieces in an elaborate and elegant fashion parade. The show, highly successful with the public in Zurich, Berlin, Vienna, Budapest and elsewhere, was also recorded on video.

An important section of the video records consists of extracts to do with Herend taken from Hungarian and foreign television programmes. The video recordings are catalogued according to several sets of criteria, to ease the work of Herend staff and outside researchers. Enquiries and requests are always welcome.