a graphic artist, educator, local historian, scenographer, one of the pioneers of ex-libris in Lithuania.
1910-1915 he studied at Šiauliai Boys' Gymnasium. When the First World War broke out, the Bagdonavičys family, retreating from the approaching front, left for the interior of Russia. He attended a boys' gymnasium in Vitebsk and Yaroslavl, and before finishing his studies he started working as a technician at the Yaroslavl film studio, became interested in artistic photography, and was introduced to the basics of acting and the art of photography. In 1919, when his family moved to Saratov, he enrolled in a commercial school, and in his spare time attended the private studio of the artist F. Korneev. He painted extensively in nature.
After his father died, he returned to Šiauliai with his mother in 1920. Two courses at the Saratov Commercial School guaranteed a job in the commercial sphere, but he chose the path of an artist. He passed the extern exams at the Kaunas School of Art and devoted his life to art and photography: from 1930 to 1944 he worked as a drawing teacher at a teachers' seminary and a secondary school of crafts, from 1934 to 1939 at a trade school, and from 1944 to 1945 at a secondary school of art.
Artist
Especially valuable are ethnographic drawings, architectural landscapes, which are full of various notes and explanations. Often invaluable ethnographic and historical knowledge. In 1925, he published a book of drawings entitled "An Album of Images of Šiauliai Church of St. Peter and Paul".
His contribution to the creation and popularisation of Lithuanian ex-libris in Lithuania and the world was immense. He has created over two hundred ex-libris, a large part of which are dedicated to Šiauliai and its citizens. An interesting and original group of applied graphic works - letters of gratitude, congratulations and praise, letterheads for institutions, envelopes, postcards, product labels, and various packaging for industrial and food products.
The first surviving sketches of stage design were for Vydūnas' drama "Starry Trails", staged at Kaunas People's Theatre in 1923, and for Ilya Erenburgs' play "Heart of Gold". He designed the Šiauliai Drama Theatre productions of Moliere's "Tartiuf" (1933) and Friedrich Schiller's "Deceit and Love" (1941). When designing scenery, costumes and props, he carefully studied the period depicted in order to realistically reflect the spirit of the period.
Designed furniture for various purposes: living room, dining room, lounge, garden. In 1937, furniture sets for the Kaunas Military Museum and the Officers' Quarters were made according to his designs.
Created over five thousand works of various kinds. Since 1923 he participated in exhibitions. In 1966, 1971, 1981 he held personal anniversary exhibitions in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai. He created graphic and pictorial works depicting Lithuanian architecture ("Šiauliai" 1919, 1969, "Tytuvėnai Architecture" 1927, "Kretinga Ensemble" 1931, "Žarniai" 1971)
He made his first camera out of cardboard and used glasses for lenses. Later he made a wooden camera with which he took many photographs. Since 1932 he has been taking pictures of plays staged in the pre-war and post-war years at the Šiauliai Drama Theatre, of the city's streets, market, square, architecture, people, nature, leaving over a hundred landscapes and images of the pre-war city. He did not shy away from experimentation, he was not content with straightforward replication of the image, he sought to recreate the mood that prevailed when taking photographs, he pursued modernism, he used lighting to produce contrasting images, he paid great attention to composition.
The artist approached photography as art. He was probably one of the first artists from Šiauliai to photograph nudes. Trying to create a new image, he exhibited the photographic negatives through gauze. He had built a camera to take pictures of performances during the action on a darkened stage. He took many artistic photographs with the camera he constructed and exhibited them. The photographs are preserved in the archives of the Photography Department of the Dawn Museum, in the museum of Šiauliai J. Janonis Gymnasium, and in private collections.
He taught the basics of painting, graphic arts, and photography to pupils and students at the Teachers' Seminary, Secondary School of Crafts, School of Commerce, Pedagogical School, and J. Janonis High School, as well as at other educational establishments of Šiauliai. He worked in a photokinetic laboratory, organised exhibitions and discussions of photographs with students. On 11 September 1934, a section of amateur photographers was established at the Šiauliai Society of Regional History, of which Česlovas Liutikas was elected chairman, and the most active members were Mykolas Eidrigevičius, Gerardas Bagdonavičius, Peliksas Bugailiškis and others. In 1935, the Photography Amateurs' Section organised a photo exhibition in the Dawn Museum, where 38 authors exhibited 618 photographs. In 1938, the museum organised an exhibition "Our Ancient Culture in Images", which was based on the works of the members of the photography section.
In 1930-1940, he participated in the expeditions organised by the Ausra Museum. During the trips he collected exhibits for the museum, drew and photographed valuable exhibits, buildings, landscape and people.
1966, when a photography club was established in Šiauliai, and later the Šiauliai chapter of the Photographic Art Society, he willingly shared his photographic experience, evaluated colleagues' photographs, discussed their work, shared memories and photographic achievements.
