Join Manifesto Press for the launch of their most recent publication, The Hess Family Guestbooks where Anita Halpin (veteran trade unionist and daughter of Hans Hess) is joined in discussion by Nick Wright (chair of Manifesto Press and former student of Hans Hess) and Gavin Clayton of the Hans Hess Foundation and Cultures in Resistance. This astonishing publication, reproduces in full for the first time, the guestbooks of Alfred and Takla Hess which contain some of the most important artistic and cultural figures of the early to mid-20th century and documents the incredible life of the Hess family from Weimar in 1900s to England in the 1960s.

Notable entries in the guestbook include paintings and sketches by artists such as Kandinsky, Klee, Feininger, Heckel and cultural icons such as Charlie Chaplin.

Hans Hess, the son of the industrialist Alfred Hess (1879-1931) and Tekla Hess (1884-1968), was of Jewish heritage, was an art historian, lecturer, curator and museum director. After fleeing Nazi Germany via Paris, he settled in England, where he established a distinguished career in Leicester and York and became an influential figure within British cultural and intellectual life.

The Book features the guest books of Alfred and Tekla Hess, which provide a historical record of the individuals, artists and cultural figures who visited the Hess family home. The Bauhaus Archive acquired the Guest Books in 1979 and has Manifesto Press to showcase them to the world.

The Book forms the fourth volume in a series of publications relating to Hans Hess. The Bauhaus-Archiv supports Manifesto Press' efforts to research, develop, publish and promote the Book and recognises the importance of the Project in preserving and sharing this significant historical material.

This event has been moved to 14.00 and will now be held in conjunction with Dr Annemarie Jaeggis talk. 

Image used: Cover for the guest book of Alfred and Thekla Hess, volume I, 1907–1931, Bauhaus-Archiv, Berlin, acquired with the help of the Museumsfonds des Senators für kulturelle Angelegenheiten (Museum Fund of the Senator for Cultural Affairs)