Description:Submitted by Ray Middleton, Don Richards, Helen Kotz and Lynne Mott.
This exhibition concerns a Birmingham-born actress whose incredible history has now been forgotten in the town where she was raised. It is a tale of migration, working class experiences, black history, nineteenth century theatre, and one woman’s courageous pursuit of a ‘life on stage’. Born in Birmingham in 1871, Esther Ann Johnson, or ‘Hettie’, as she came to be known, would first appear in performances of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in England in 1892. Passing away as recently as June 19th 1973 in Saint Christopher’s Hospital, Fareham, Hettie would live to be 102 years old!
Birmingham Stories would like to acknowledge that the images presented in this gallery have been made accessible by Helen Kotz, Lynne Mott, Ray Middleton and Don Richards, who have been willing to share their knowledge of Hettie’s life. The following story is the result of their hard work in examining family history and local archive records. Hettie’s story shows us how family history and personal stories can have a profound social relevance for us all.