The Kossuth family (father Lajos and son Ferenc, for whom the society was named) were leaders of the Hungarian independence movement. According to a Fulbright scholar's research (this link leads to an explanatory pdf), the founders of the society asked permission to use his name (and apparently his likeness, shown above in a chair at the very center of the photo).
The society's goals were to establish a library and reading room; raise money for charitable purposes, especially to help new immigrants; and sponsor sports or other special events. The society also participated in March 15th celebrations every year, remembering the Hungarian Revolution of 1848.
Hermina Farkas, 1909 |
The photographer Gustav Beldegreen, who had a successful studio in New York City's Lower East Side, was obviously a big supporter of the society. He produced the big photo above, along with individual portraits of the members that are included as cameos.
At left, my future grandma Hermina Farkas as she appeared in 1909, in the big photo above. She was born in Berehovo, like her brother Sandor. Two years after this photo was taken, she married grandpa Theodore Schwartz (born in Ungvar, then part of Hungary and now known as Uzhorod, Ukraine).
Also here's a photo of the Kossuth statue that was erected in 1928 New York City (along Riverside Drive) to honor this leader of Hungarian independence.
From the Kossuth Ferenc Society booklet, spelled as in the original and in the order it appeared, I want to include the complete Tagok névsora (list of members):
Altman, Sándor
Altman, Rosie
Altman, Bertha
Altman, Malvin
Aurbach, Emma
Ábraham, Isidor
Bleich, Ármin
Blau, Sámuel
Blau, Sámuelné
Berman, Dezsö
Burger, Jenö
Burger, Miksa
Burger, Géza
Burger, Lajos
Burger, Rosie
Burger, Harry
Braun, Ferencz
Braunstein, Jenö
Böhm, Máli
Berkowitz, Márton
Berkowitz, Sadie
Beldegreen, Gusztáv (the photographer/printer)
Braun, Jakab
Brummel, Frida
Berger, Pepi
Berger, Isidor
Breuer, Márton
Cohn, Sarah
Davidowitz, Jenö
Deutsch, Dezsö
Deutsch, Samu
Deutsch, Ferencz
Diamand, Ignátz
Eichler, Hermina
Ehrenfeld, Bella
Farkas, Sándor (my family!)
Farkas, Bertalan (my family!)
Farkas, Hermina (my family!)
Friedman, Jenö
Friedman, Jenö
Friedman, Adolf
Friedman, Isidor
Friedman, Annie
Feldman, Herman
Fischer, Sarah
Fischer, Rosie I
Fischer, Rosie II
Fischer, Jenö
Fischer, Harry
Fischer, Julia
Funk, Deszö
Fried, Sámuel
Frank, Mihály
Fábián, Jenö
Fábián, Jenöné
Greenberger, Bertha
Greenberger, Max
Green, Malvin
Green, Cili
Green, Herman
Goldstein, Lina
Goldstein, Márton
Greenfeld, Irén
Greenfeld, Bertha
Greenfeld, Sámuel
Gross, Isidor
Gross, Etel
Gross, Ida
Gross, Jenö
Gross, Márton
Grossman, Jenö
Grossman, Etel
Grossman, Annie
Gerendási, Béla
Gerendási, Márton
Gottlieb, Julius
Grünwald, Albert
Goldstein, Giza
Greenstein, Vilmos
Gellért, Ármin
Gellért, Miksa
Gewirtz, Jenö
Greenbaum, Dávid
Gáspár, Anna
Grünwald, Selma
Hohenberg, Bérnat dr.
Hochheiser, Dóra
Hirschfeld, Jenö
Herskowitz, Máli
Hartman, Ármin
Horowitz, Fáni
Hartman, Wm. L. dr.
Jäger, Sadie
Jungreis, Antal
Klein, Jenö I
Klein, Jenö II
Klein, Jenö III
Klein, Jenöné
Klein, Szerén
Klein, Lajos
Klein, Isidor I
Klein, Isidor II
Klein, Máli
Klein, Bernath
Klein, Vilmos
Klein, Ida
Klein, Regina
Klein, Helen
Klein, Róza
Klein, Mór
Katz, Bertha
Kornfeld, Heinrich
Kraus, Hermina
Kraus, Bernath
Kallisch, Teréz
Kellner, Árpád
Katz, Ida
Kestenbaum, Jack
Klausner, Sam
Kraus, Matild
Lehner, Etel
Leffkowitz, Rosie I
Leffkowitz, Rosie II
Leffkowitz, Helén
Lessauer, Sam
Lebowitz, Max
Lax, Harrz
Leggmar, Sarah
Markowitz, Herman
Markowitz, Hermanné
Markowitz, Isidor
Mayer, Adolf
Miesels, Sam
Moor, Max dr.
Neuman, Vilmos
Oppman, Gizella
Rendler, Annie
Rosner, Dávid
Reschowsky, Lajos
Rosenfeld, Fülöp
Roth, Helén
Roth, Margit
Rosenzweig, Boriska
Radóczy, Irma
Rosner, Bertha
Singer, Szerén
Schwartz, Nathan
Schwartz, Nathanné
Schwartz, Isidor
Schwartz, Theodor (my family!)
Schwartz, Malvin
Schwartz, Alex
Saffran, Bertha
Schwartz, Szerén
Schwartz, Bernath I
Schwartz, Bernath II
Strauss, Eszti
Smidt, József
Schwartz, Eszti
Schönwald, Emma
Schönwald, Rosie
Schwartz, Sam (my family!)
Spitzer, Vilmos
Saffir, Rosie
Süsskind, Pinkusz
Spitz, Áron
Stark, Miksa
Schwartz, Marie (actually MARY, my family!)
Schreiber, J.H. dr.
Selymes, Ferencz
Schwartz, Sarah
Stark, Sándor
Salamon, Rosie
Schwartz, Bertha
Schwartz, Sadie
Schwartz, Hannah
Staub, Matild
Spiro, Annie
Steuer, Paulin
Steuer, Jolán
Tresenfeld, Rosie
Tresenfeld, Ármin
Wolf, Adolf
Weitzner, Janka
Weitzner, József
Wolitzer, Sándor
Weiss, Dávid
Weiss, Harry
Weiss, Sámuel dr.
Weiss, Max
Weiss, Helén
Weiss, Feri
Weiss, Bernath
Weiss, Piroska
Weiss, Sam
Weiss, Margit
Weiss, Ida
Williger, Helén
Weltman, Ernö
Wellner, Henry
Weinreb, Márton
Zimmerman, Harry