The Ferenc Draskovich collection - Interview with George Draskoy
by Giancarlo Nicoli

This is an interview with Mr. George Draskoy, who left Hungary to Canada after the 1956 Hungarian revolution against the Russian occupation.
I came across his Internet site (here) while surfing the "Ex libris web Ring". I wished to know more, and George was extremely kind to answer my questions and to tell us more about his story.

Giancarlo Nicoli (GN): Hello George. I noticed your Internet site. Why did you build it and put up on the net your father's collection?
George Draskoy (GD): Hello Giancarlo. My father, Ferenc Draskovich, was very fond of this collection, and in his library it was in a prominent place, in his glass-covered bookcase. Attached photo shows part of the library.

I put it up on the net in honor of my father, and because I wanted to share his collection with the world. There is only a fraction of the collection there, because at that time my webspace was only 3MB.
I am amazed that the collection is visited daily by 20-30 people from around the globe.

GN: How did you get this book?
GD: Many persons from around the world asked me about the history of my father's ex libris collection. I believe he started it in the 1920s, in a leather bound book, because when I was a little boy about in 1934, I remember this book was already in the library.
During the war, other things took priority out of his ex libris collection.
When the Russian front approached Kalocsa (Hungary), we left the town, leaving everything behind. This book survived the pilfering of Russian army and of locals.
Years later we were forced to leave our home again by the communist regime, but this time some of the books came with us.
After the 1956 Hungarian revolution against the Russian occupation, I left Hungary and when I was allowed back to the country to visit it in 1965, my father gave me his collection to bring with me to Canada.
These ex libris plates are from my father's collection from the 1920's and 1930's.
He was an agricultural engineer and was an officer of the famous "huszar's" during WW I.
Here is me with my father: the picture was taken in 1938 when I was 8 years old and my father 44.

GN: How is this book, how did your father start the collection?
GD: My father's collection is small, it fits all in a leather bound book 22 x 30 cm (Photo of the book available on my site).
It contains 74 ex libris, mostly given to him by the famous graphic artist Jenõ Haranghy (1894-1951), who was born in the same year as my father. My father visited Haranghy often when he was in Budapest, during the 1920s and 1930s; we lived in Kalocsa, a town 120 km south of Budapest.

GN: Do you collect ex libris as well?
GD: I do not collect ex libris, and I'm not member of any such society.
I'm attaching an ex libris which I never published before, Haranghy's own ex libris. On it you can read: "Ez a könyv Haranghy Jenöéké", which translates as: "This book belongs to the Haranghy family".

GN: What are you doing right now?
GD: I took again a web authoring course and my exam piece is this.
I made the Flash on the first page, and I believe I am one of the world oldest Flash programmer at 72. I am a member of these seniors Grandragons paddling club since February 2003, and I volunteered to do their webpage!

GN: Thank you very much, George.
GD: Thank you, Giancarlo.

To learn more, and take a look at more ex libris, go and visit the Ferenc Draskovich collection.