Michael Peto facts for kids

Michael Peto (also known as Mihály Petö) (1908 – 25 December 1970) was a famous Hungarian-British photojournalist from the 20th century. He moved to London before World War II. After the war, he became one of many Hungarian artists who worked outside their home country. During the war, he worked for the British government. He also tried to help create a new government in Hungary after the war, but their plans were stopped by the Soviet Union.

In the years after the war, Michael Peto studied photography in Paris with Ervin Marton, who was already a well-known artist. When Peto returned to London, he started his career as a photojournalist. He took pictures at the 1948 Summer Olympics and began working for The Observer newspaper in 1949. He became very well-known in the 1950s and 1960s for capturing British life. He photographed many famous people, from ballet dancers like Dame Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev to the music group The Beatles. He also traveled around the world, taking many pictures of people and places. Today, the University of Dundee holds the Michael Peto Collection, which has thousands of his photographs, negatives, and papers.

Early Life and Beginnings

Michael Peto was born Mihály Petö in 1908 in a small town called Bata in Austria-Hungary. His father owned a general store, and young Peto started working there after finishing school. He was interested in Hungarian arts and crafts, so he started his own business. He exported these items to countries in Western Europe.

Becoming a Photojournalist

In the 1930s, Peto moved to Budapest. He continued to work in his family's business, exporting Hungarian craft products. This work helped him move to Great Britain before World War II. During the war, he lived in London and worked for the British government's Ministry of Labour. He strongly supported the Allied efforts in the war.

In his free time, Peto worked with other Hungarians. They planned for their country's future after the war. He was a personal secretary to Count Mihály Károlyi, who had been a leader of Hungary before. They hoped to create a new, socialist Hungary after it was freed from the war. However, they did not expect the Soviet Union to take control after the war. Peto was also very interested in education for both adults and children. He supported new ways of teaching and became involved with the Summerhill School in 1944.

Starting His Photography Career

After the war, Michael Peto became very interested in photography. He went to Paris, where he met many Hungarian artists. He learned photography techniques from the famous photographer Ervin Marton, who encouraged him to continue. Peto soon returned to London and found work as a photojournalist. His friend, the artist Josef Herman, also helped him start his new career.

In 1948, Peto took famous photographs of athletes at the Olympics. By 1949, he joined The Observer newspaper as a photojournalist. Much of his work shows his travels across Europe, the Middle East, and Asian countries like India. His photographs have been shown in major exhibitions in London, Liverpool, Dundee, and other cities.

Capturing Life and Famous Faces

Peto was very interested in photographing people in their natural surroundings. Many people believe he was a master at this type of photography. He took both portraits and natural, unplanned pictures of many famous people. These included figures from politics, art, and entertainment.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Peto photographed many people from the London art scene. His pictures of the ballet dancers Dame Margot Fonteyn and the young Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev were known all over the world. Nureyev joined Fonteyn at the Royal Ballet.

In 1965, Michael Peto was asked to take still photographs of The Beatles while they were making their film Help!. In 2002, when his collection was being made digital at the University of Dundee, about 500 pictures of The Beatles from Help! that had never been seen before were found. His photographs were known for looking very natural and showing real feelings.

Peto also photographed several important British politicians in the 1950s and 1960s, such as Winston Churchill, Clement Attlee, Harold Wilson, and Edward Heath. He also photographed world leaders like Israel's Prime Minister Golda Meir and the Soviet Union's leader Nikita Khrushchev. He also traveled through the Middle East with the charity Save the Children.

Michael Peto passed away on Christmas Day in 1970, at the age of 62. His collection of photographs is now kept and managed by Archive Services at the University of Dundee in Scotland, which also owns the copyright.

Legacy and Recognition

• 1960: He received a bronze medal from the International Organisation of Journalists at Interpress-Foto in Berlin.
• 1970: He won a bronze medal at the Budapest International Exposition of Photographic Art.
• After Peto's death, his stepson Michael Fodor gave all of his work – about 130,000 photographic prints and negatives – to the University of Dundee in Scotland. Fodor was a student at the University at the time.
• 2006: Genesis Publications released a book called Now These Days Are Gone. It was a collection of Peto's photographs of The Beatles. An exhibition of some of these pictures was held in London to celebrate the book's launch.
• 2007: The University of Dundee held an exhibition of Peto's work as part of the University's 40th anniversary.
• 2007–2008: An exhibition called Now These Days Are Gone: The Beatles Photographs of Michael Peto was held at the National Conservation Centre in Liverpool.
• 2008: An exhibition of Peto's Beatles photographs was held at Cavan County Museum.
• 2009: An exhibition of Peto's photographs of India was held at the University of Dundee. Dr Arun Gandhi opened the exhibition.
• 2011: Peto's photographs of The Beatles were shown in Dundee as part of the Scottish Beatles Weekend.
• 2011: An exhibition of Peto's work was held at the Proud Gallery in Camden.