The Johannesburg Art Scene from the 60's to the 90's
Queens Hall Art Gallery, Johannesburg
History and List of Exhibitions
The Queens Hall Art Gallery was situated on the lower ground floor level at 112 Plein Street, corner Claim Street, Johannesburg, in a building owned by Rabbi Merkin.
The gallery's owners were in equal parts: Mmes. Fernande Marie-Louise Haenggi, Rosa Lipschitz (later known as Rosa Lipworth) and Frankie Rubenstein.
There was a small office at the top of the stairs (leading down to the gallery) in which Pino Cattaneo used to paint. Jeremy Taylor, just back from a trip abroad, used to have impromptu sessions practising his "'Ag Pleez Deddy " which became such a hit.
List of Exhibitions at Queens Hall Art Gallery 1959-1961
| Year | Opening | Opener | Artists |
| 1959 | 26th October, 1959 | Official opening | Artists Choice Exhibition: 17 artists: Lionel Abrams, May Arlington, Erica Berry, Nina Campbell-Quine, Richard Cheales, W.H. Coetzer, Eirys Davies, Sydney Goldblatt, Arthur Goldreich, Norma Ingram, Phyllis Kingsbury, Mary Packer, Zoltan Borbereki, Elizabeth Sebök, Rhona Stern, Herman Wald and one other artist |
| 1960 | 31st March, 1960 | Transvaal Artists: 22 Contemporary SA artists: Rhona Stern, Alice Goldin, Nina Aleksander, Bettie Cilliers-Barnard, Nina Campbell-Quine, Sidney Goldblatt, Giuseppe Cattaneo, Cecily Sash, George Boys, Ben Jasven, Dirk Meerkotter, Nel Erasmus, Frank Rosen, Johan van Heerden, Ronald Mylchreest, Coert Steynberg, Harold Rubin, Ernest Ullman, Zakkie Eloff, Ernst de Jong, Leo Theron, Monty Sack, Minne Fry |
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| 1960 | 8th August, 1960 | Gideon Roos, Director General of SABC | 34 Contemporary SA artists: Lionel Abrams, Nina Alexander-Ristic, Blumé Amoils, Armando Baldinelli, Walter Battiss, George Boys, Nina Campbell-Quine, Giuseppe Cattaneo, Bettie Cilliers-Barnard, Ernst de Jong, Elza Dziomba, Nel Erasmus, Minne Fry, Alice Goldin, Arthur Goldreich, George Jaholkowski, Ben Jasven, Sydney Kumalo, Elsa Marschall, Dirk Meerkotter, Ronald Mylchreest, Monty Sack, Cecily Sash, Cecil Skotnes, Julius Sher, Irma Stern, Rhona Stern, Ernest Ullman, Maurice van Essche, Johan van Heerden, Günther van der Reis, Adèle White, Aaron Witkin, Valentinos Xenidis + included but not on invitation card: Zoltan Borbereki, Maggie Laubser, Fred Schimmel, Elizabeth Sebök |
| 1960 | October, 1960 | George Jaholkowski - sculptures | |
| 1960 | 2nd November, 1960 | Adrian Berrill, Chairman C.N.A. | Polly Street Art Group - paintings and sculptures |
| 1960 | 15th November, 1960 | Prof. John Fassler | Armando Baldinelli - paintings, mosaics, drawings |
| 1961 | Jan./Feb. | Art & Fashion | |
| 1961 | March | The partnership ceased about then as the property's owner Rabbi Merkin wanted to use the gallery space for a Restaurant to make more money! The upstairs floors were used by PACT's ballet group. | |
| 1961 | 17th October, 1961 | DGA Banmeyer |
Maurice + Jeannette Fievet - international wildlife painter and illustrator This exhibition was organised by Mme FML Haenggi for her own account, separate from the Gallery 101 operations, in the former Queens Hall Art Gallery premises! |