About this Event
Discovering Lisel Haas
An exhibition exploring the life, work, and legacy of a Birmingham photographer.
27th July - 12th December, Library of Birmingham
Lisel Haas (1898 - 1989) was a German-Jewish photographer whose professional career spanned over 6 decades. She worked in close collaboration with her partner, Grete Bermbach (1899 - 1979).
Having run a successful photography business together in their home town of Mönchengladbach, Lisel and Grete fled Nazi persecution and arrived in Birmingham shortly before the war. Despite initial hostility and difficulties, they were eventually able to set up their photography studio again and rebuild their strong career.
The Library of Birmingham is home to the Lisel Haas archive, a collection of nearly 260 boxes of material that have remained uncatalogued and largely untouched, until now.
This exhibition draws out highlights from the archive in order to tell Lisel and Grete’s story. Contemporary artists have also been invited to respond to the archive and to Lisel and Grete’s story; their responses are on display throughout the exhibition.
Curator's Talk
This talk will be led by curator of the exhibition, Jen Wilbur. Jen is a creative producer and curator working in arts and heritage in Birmingham and the Black Country. They are Project Manager at Bertz Associates and have been researching Lisel Haas for 6 years. They presented a paper on Haas at the Four Corners 'Another Eye' Conference in September 2020. In 2021, they included Haas in Bertz Associates' 'Women between the Lines' guided walk. Since 2024, Jen has led Bertz Associates' projects working with the Haas archive at the Library of Birmingham.
This guided talk will take you round the exhibition, drawing out highlights from the show and giving an insight into the curatorial decisions made behind the scenes.
Dates and Times
Thursday 27 August, 2pm
Tuesday 1 September, 5:30pm
Saturday 10 October, 11:30am
Tuesday 20 October, 5:30pm
Saturday 14 November, 11:30am
Wednesday 25 November, 2pm
Saturday 12 December, 11:30am (this talk will be BSL Interpeted)
The event will last roughly 1 hour
BSL Interpreted Talk
We are pleased to confirm that the talk on Saturday 12 December will be BSL interpreted by Hyacinth Powell. Hyacinth is a qualified BSL/English Interpreter (RSLI) based in the West Midlands. She holds a BA (Hons) in Education and Special Educational Needs, a PGDip in BSL/English Interpreting, and has completed an MA in Interpreting at the University of Wolverhampton.
Her work spans both conference and community interpreting, alongside a developing specialism in performance and theatre. Following intensive training at Rose Bruford College in Sidcup, Hyacinth has developed a particular passion for making creative spaces and live performances accessible and welcoming for Deaf audiences.
Combining strong linguistic skills with a sound understanding of inclusive practice, Hyacinth brings a thoughtful, creative and audience-focused approach to every interpreting context.
Event venue & nearby stays
Library of Birmingham, Centenary Square, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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