Figure 1.--Violin prodigy Kun Arpud is seen here in a sailor suit. It is little uncler, but is either a knee pants or knickers suit. |
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A HBC reader has provided two photographs of a child violin prodigee named Kun Arpad. The name appears to be Hungarian so presumably that was his nationality. We have, however, no information on him. The photographs appeared in De Prins. He must have be born in the 1890s. The available photographs show that he was dressed in kneepants sailor suits. One 1901 photograph shows him wearing a kneepants sailor at about 11 or years of age. He wore bangs a longish, but not shoulder-length hair. He apparently is an example of a boy whose parents wanted him to look like asmall child as long as possible. A 1907 photograph when he looks to be 17 or 18 years old shows him still wearing a kneepants sailor suit. Very old boys in the 1900s wore kneepants suits. (This was true in America. HBC is less sure about Hungary and other European countries. He even still has a childing long hair cut with bangs.
A HBC reader has provided two photographs of a child violin prodigee named Kun Arpad. Unfortunately these two images are the only information we have about him at this time. The photographs appeared in the Dutch news weekly De Prins.
The name appears to be Hungarian so presumably that was his nationality.
Based on the 1901 photograph (figure 1), Kun looks to have been born about 1890. We was still performing as a child prodigy as an older teenager in 1907 (figure 2).
We have no information on Kun's musical education.
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We have little information on Kun's career as a child prodigy violinist. The 1901 photograph in De Prins vsuggests that by the age of 11-12 that he was traveling and operforming all over Europe. We do not know when he began to perform pubically. The 10\907 image shows that he was still performing as a child prodigy in 1907. The fact that he still wears knee pants sailor suits and a childish hair cut makes it clear that he is still being presented as a child prodigy.
The available photographs show that he was dressed in sailor suits both as a boy and as an older teenager. One 1901 photograph shows him wearing a kneepants sailor at about 11-12 or years of age. His sailor suit has a solid white collar. I'm not sure about the material, although it could be velvet, or color. We thought at first he was wearing kneepants, but the hems may have well been blouced knicker-style pants. He also has long black stockings. Kun apparently is an example of a boy whose parents wanted him to look like asmall child as long as possible. A 1907 photograph when he looks to be 17 or 18 years old shows him still wearing a kneepants sailor suit. Very old boys in the 1900s wore kneepants suits. (This was true in America. HBC is less sure about Hungary and other European countries.) The sailor suit is the more traditionally styled one with the three white stripes. HBC does not believe sailor suits were made in such large sizes, although we admitedly know very little about Hungary. Kun's middy blouse would have to been made especially for him. He looks large enough, however, that he could be wearing a uniform middy blouse actually made for a sailor. He also has long dark stockings.
He wore bangs a longish, but not shoulder-length hair. He even still has a childing long hair cut with bangs as an older teenager. The hair style on an older teenager looks rather rediculous today. I have not noted other boys this age wearing such hair styles. It may well have been preceived as rediculous in the 1900s also, but perhaps muscicians were given more leeway in hair styles.
We have no information on Arpad's adult career at this time.
One HBC reader comments, "I agree, it is hard to tell but I think he is wearing knickers around 1901. The later date it is definitely
knee pants. It is amazing that his hair style is the same in both pictures! The shoes are very high lace (I think) shoes. I also think he is wearing long stockings in both photos. He also wears a dickie in both photos although the sailor top or middy blouse in the first photo is one I would have expected a younger child to wear. It is my understanding that the impression of dressing a prodigy younger than they were went on in the 20th century. Isaac Stern is a
good example of this. In his case it was done to make him look younger and thus more remarkable than he really was!"
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