of a Forgotten Hungarian Fashion Photographer
Who has heard of Imre Santhó?
Does the name ring a bell? Nah?!
It’s perfectly fine if it doesn’t. The man in question mostly worked as a fashion photographer in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. In Hungary, however, he was known more for scandalizing public morals together with actress Becker Bäby, who gladly posed nude for his illustrations—something clearly echoed in his sensual drawings. The images radiate subtle eroticism, natural trust, and raw desire, laced with a touch of theatrical play.
When Art Leaves Its Mark
His sensually lifelike works, true to the atmosphere of their time, were created in an era when moral guardians did not hesitate to launch criminal proceedings for “indecency.” The authorities worked themselves into such a fervor over his pictures that prosecutors pursued his case in 1921, 1923, and 1925. And this indeed amounted to an involuntary form of recognition: his art clearly struck a nerve.
Had Santhó been living in Hungary, the trials would likely have ended with three months in prison and a fine. But since he was abroad, he escaped untouched, and the charges eventually expired after a few years. Neither Bäby nor the publisher was held responsible during the proceedings.
Bedroom Secrets
His second wife, Katharina Haarhaous, described their marriage as follows:
“This marriage was short, passionate, and not necessarily in line with the family’s taste.”
The Photographer
His fashion photography—with stylized models and open-air settings—can be seen as a forerunner to the celebrated Peter Lindbergh*. Santhó delighted in playing with light and shadow, while his studio portraits were elevated through simple yet inventive techniques: double exposures, mirrors, and hand-drawn illustrations. Most of his photographic work appeared in German fashion magazines, while his illustrations were kept largely for Hungarian audiences. Whether this was a deliberate decision or simply the result of a domestic zeitgeist unwilling to embrace his fashion photography remains an open question.
One thing is certain.
The selected works now exhibited at the Capa Center bring us closer to a bohemian Hungarian artist whose name has been unjustly forgotten.
*Go ahead and read more about Peter Lindbergh HERE
Photos displayed in this article are original local staff from the exhibition
