The world-renowned photographer Lucien Hervé and the József Attila Prize-winning translator and literary historian János Benyhe have been awarded posthumous honorary citizenship by the city of Hódmezővásárhely. The announcement was made by Vilmos Göbl, the municipal press officer, via MTI.
In addition to the posthumous honors, Roman Catholic parish priest and retired theology professor Béla Fila received the honorary citizen title for his outstanding teaching and pastoral work. The awards were presented during a ceremonial general assembly on Wednesday, held in honor of the 1848-49 Revolution and War of Independence.
From Hódmezővásárhely to Paris
Lucien Hervé was born László Elkán in 1910 in Hódmezővásárhely to parents of Armenian descent. After moving to Budapest in 1918 and later studying drawing in Vienna, he arrived in Paris in 1929. He remained a resident of the French capital until his death in 2007.
His diverse career path saw him working as a fashion designer starting in 1933, before transitioning to photojournalism in 1938.
War, Resistance, and Modernism
In 1939, Hervé was drafted into the army. He was captured by German forces at Dunkirk in 1940 but managed a daring escape. From 1942, he played an active role in the armed resistance, adopting the pseudonym Lucien Hervé to hide his identity—a name he would use professionally for the rest of his life.
Following the war, he expanded his artistic repertoire into set and costume design, posters, and painting, all while returning to his true passion: photography.
The Architect’s Photographer
The definitive turning point in his career came in 1949 when he met Le Corbusier, the giant of modern architecture. Hervé became both a close friend and the official photographer of the master’s works. His photographs were featured in forty different architectural journals, and his exhibitions traveled the globe.
While widely credited with elevating architectural photography to a high-art form, his portraits, genre scenes, still lifes, and nature photography bear the same unique, visionary character that defined his architectural masterpieces.
(Source: MTI)
To learn more about his artistic collaboration with Le Corbusier and his unique style, read our full profile on Lucien Hervé here.
