DLA015-0026  Translation

Budapest, 28th March 1924.

My dear good brother Philip,

My grateful thanks for the £30, I received the letter and the cheque, I don’t know how to thank you, and also for the wonderful days I spent in your beautiful home in London. I think God will repay you for it, as you are the happiest among us, the father of five lovely boys, and you have dear “Angel” Lucy as your wife. 

Congratulations on Patrick’s confirmation, time passes and Henry will already be 22 years old this summer, I am happy that you will have a son with the title of “Doctor”.[1] I send greetings to dear Stephen if my letter still finds him at home. Did the little Csaly [Johnny?] stay at home?

You are quite right dear Philip to go to Karlsbad during the summer, take care of yourself, you have to live for a long time for the sake of dear good Lucy and your family. We thank goodness are well, considering the conditions, which are dreadful. I can hardly pay the taxes – I now pay ten million, clothing and food are expensive.

I was in the Nemzeti Szalon and your picture [presumably 7173] was hung in a very good hall, people crowded around it and related legends about you.[2] 

I saw your book at Rózsavölgyi’s – he had a copy sent from London – it is a beautiful large volume.[3]

Tomorrow dear Philip I shall send you the catalogue from the Nemzeti Szalon.

The gravestones are ready and we shall dedicate them towards the end of April.[4] We are waiting until the weather is better. 

I am going to Balatonfüred[5] in July, I have a room for four weeks, one has to book in advance already in March but one can only get a booking with great difficulty. Ilonka[6] and Elsa[7] are very well. Elsa is expecting a baby next month, she has a lovely little daughter, they were here for a whole day last week with the children.[8] Sándor[9] has written that he is coming to Pest next week. 

Now dear Philip, I thank you very much for everything, I embrace you and Lucy with lots of kisses, your sister,

Szeréna

God bless all of you, lots of greetings from Gyula.[10]

Editorial Note:

Madame Gyula Krämer, nee Szeréna Laub; other married name Madame Antal László (1866-c. 1935), the artist’s sister; for biographical notes, see [8604].

Pd’O

01/06/2007

[1] Henry Guinness de Laszlo (1901-1967) [11664], the eldest of the five sons of Philip and Lucy de László, gained an M.A. in Physics from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1922. In 1925 he studied in Paris and then at Zurich University, where he achieved a PhD in Chemistry in 1926.

[2] De László exhibited the double portrait Risaldar Jagat Singh and Risaldar Man Singh [7173] at the Nemzeti Szalon, Budapest in 1924.

[3] Rózsavölgyi’s was a well known bookshop and publisher. Szeréna is possibly referring to Oakley Williams (ed.), Selections from The Work of P.A. de László, Foreword by Robert de Montesquiou, Hutchinson, London, 1921.

[4] See letters DLA015-0020 and DLA015-0021 in which Szeréna discusses purchasing, inscribing and erecting a number of family gravestones.

[5] A resort town on the northern shore of Lake Balaton, Hungary

[6] Ilona Krämer (1893-1964) [10219], known to her family as Ilonka, the eldest daughter of de László’s sister Róza

[7] Elsa (Elizabeth) Krämer (1894-1964) [7132], the second daughter of de László’s sister Róza

[8] Elsa’s daughters Marianne and Eva were born in 1922 and 1924 respectively

[9] Sandor Krämer (1896-1963)

[10] Gyula Krämer (died 1945) 111399]. Szeréna married her widowed brother-in-law, Gyula, following her sister Roza’s death.