Dear Sir,
In 1939 a Jewish society photographer from Vienna escaped Nazi Austria and found refuge in England. She had been one of a band of Jewish women who were able to use the age of emancipation with the art of photography, and thereby gain an independent living.
Hella KATZ became well known as a photographer in the art world, and photographed many of the famous of the day. She also specialized in photographing the artists of film, stage and the music world.
She was helped to get a visa into England by William L Shirer, the American broadcaster in Berlin at that time. The book “The Long Night” by Steve Wick has a chapter about Hella.
Early in 1948 Hella married Ronald Lowis, a tobacconist in Newton Aycliffe. She was 50 years old, and unmarried. She died in January 1981, aged 82.
As far as we know, she never worked as a photographer again, but immersed herself in the life surrounding the local Methodist Church. From time to time there were local photographic competitions in which she participated. The society lady of Vienna had retreated to local life in County Durham.
An exhibition is now being planned in Vienna to Commemorate the work of Jewish women photographers, and will include the work of Hella Katz-Lowis.
We are hoping to find people who still remember Hella, remember anecdotes of her life, and who knows – there may even still be some photographs somewhere?
David Lewin. E-mail:
davidlewin@btinternet.com
