ChismeCait
The artist and her neice - Hannah and Fiona Frank
Happy birthday Hannah Frank (born August 23, 1908) .
I met Hannah around five or six years ago when I visited her with my friend and neighbour Fiona (her neice - pictured here). She was then preparing to move with her now late husband ,Lionel Levy, into a care home, and her drawings, prints and sculptures had to be organised/distributed/catalogued etc. They were still in their long time very scottish 1920s villa - it was a great privilige to be shown round the fantastic house, stuffed with art works, by this tiny but energetic 94 year old. We hatched a plan to try to get her work all together and shown again before it was spread across the country/globe. That was my only input - helping generate the idea, getting Hannah on board (didn't need much!) and then leaving all the work to the tireless and dedicated Fiona.
The thing that captured Hannah's enthusiasm most was the prospect of a show in her Glasgow home city, but the "waiting list" once the galleries were interested, was five years. We weren't confident that that would be soon enough for Hannah, but with stubborn optimism, plans went ahead, and as a back up and preparation, Fiona generated interest in Boston (US), a Jewish Heritage gallery in London, and some smaller galleries in our home town (Lancaster) and elsewhere in the UK. Since then, there've been books and radio shows and now, finally, Hannah's managed to hold out (looked a bit shaky about a year ago) and make her centenary, and is here at her Glasgow show on the eve of her hundredth birthday.
These photos are no more than snatched snaps during private view of the exhibition now running in Glasgow University's Chapel, but I hope they capture the excitement of the occasion and the importance of this woman's contribution to Glasgow's artistic heritage. Hannah was on great form and clearly enjoyed the event, though she was not always convinced that all this fuss was in her honour.
You can take a look at her web-site at: www.hannahfrank.org.uk/ .
The artist and her neice - Hannah and Fiona Frank
Happy birthday Hannah Frank (born August 23, 1908) .
I met Hannah around five or six years ago when I visited her with my friend and neighbour Fiona (her neice - pictured here). She was then preparing to move with her now late husband ,Lionel Levy, into a care home, and her drawings, prints and sculptures had to be organised/distributed/catalogued etc. They were still in their long time very scottish 1920s villa - it was a great privilige to be shown round the fantastic house, stuffed with art works, by this tiny but energetic 94 year old. We hatched a plan to try to get her work all together and shown again before it was spread across the country/globe. That was my only input - helping generate the idea, getting Hannah on board (didn't need much!) and then leaving all the work to the tireless and dedicated Fiona.
The thing that captured Hannah's enthusiasm most was the prospect of a show in her Glasgow home city, but the "waiting list" once the galleries were interested, was five years. We weren't confident that that would be soon enough for Hannah, but with stubborn optimism, plans went ahead, and as a back up and preparation, Fiona generated interest in Boston (US), a Jewish Heritage gallery in London, and some smaller galleries in our home town (Lancaster) and elsewhere in the UK. Since then, there've been books and radio shows and now, finally, Hannah's managed to hold out (looked a bit shaky about a year ago) and make her centenary, and is here at her Glasgow show on the eve of her hundredth birthday.
These photos are no more than snatched snaps during private view of the exhibition now running in Glasgow University's Chapel, but I hope they capture the excitement of the occasion and the importance of this woman's contribution to Glasgow's artistic heritage. Hannah was on great form and clearly enjoyed the event, though she was not always convinced that all this fuss was in her honour.
You can take a look at her web-site at: www.hannahfrank.org.uk/ .