We Came from America…outdoor photo exibition

The exhibition is visitable
—
The Museum Garden is open to visitors during its regular hours.
Location
Museum Garden

Budapest
Múzeum krt. 14-16.
1088

On the anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, a photo-panel exhibition titled We Came from America… will be on view in the Museum Garden. Displaying a selection of photographs from the Historical Photo Collection of the Hungarian National Museum, the exhibition pays tribute to American–Hungarian relations and offers visitors to the museum and the Museum Garden, both Hungarian and international, a glimpse into the shared history of the two countries from the late 19th century to the transition to democracy.

The title We Came from America… was inspired by a popular Hungarian children’s game called I came from America, my trade is…. The origins of the game are linked to emigrants who returned from America in the early 20th century.

Whether through the idea of independence, ways of life, attitudes toward modernity and technology, or concrete acts of assistance, visitors can discover how American culture appeared in Hungary through tastes, sounds, objects, and, at times, direct support. Some of the exhibition’s themes are also connected to memorials located within the Museum Garden, and the panels have therefore been placed at various points throughout the park. The panel presenting the actions of Harry Hill Bandholtz is displayed next to the plaque unveiled in honor of the American general in 2019, while the panel featuring a Polaroid by André Kertész can be seen near the bench dedicated to the photographer in 2024, on the 130th anniversary of his birth.

The photo-panel exhibition in the Museum Garden is only the opening event in a broader program. Connected to this important anniversary, a larger temporary exhibition titled American Dream: Hungarians in the United States, 1776–2026 will open at the museum in late July.

Car covered with an American flag, a vehicle of the CBS television crew. Photograph by Dr István Pálfalvi, Budapest, late October 1956
Car covered with an American flag, a vehicle of the CBS television crew. Photograph by Dr István Pálfalvi, Budapest, late October 1956
Horse-drawn carriage in front of the photography studio of Samuel Helfgott. Photograph by Samuel Helfgott, Budapest, c. 1885
Horse-drawn carriage in front of the photography studio of Samuel Helfgott. Photograph by Samuel Helfgott, Budapest, c. 1885
The Barrison Sisters, American vaudeville performers. Photograph by Ödön Uher, Budapest, 1896
The Barrison Sisters, American vaudeville performers. Photograph by Ödön Uher, Budapest, 1896
Introduction of Coca-Cola in Hungary: tasting event in Újpest. Photograph by Irén Ács, 1974
Introduction of Coca-Cola in Hungary: tasting event in Újpest. Photograph by Irén Ács, 1974
U.S. President George Bush unexpectedly stepping out of his car to greet onlookers at Bécsi kapu Square in Buda Castle, Budapest. Photograph by Zoltán Fejér, July 12, 1989
U.S. President George Bush unexpectedly stepping out of his car to greet onlookers at Bécsi kapu Square in Buda Castle, Budapest. Photograph by Zoltán Fejér, July 12, 1989

Map of the We came from America... outdoor photo exibition