Remembering Florence Helzel

Florence B. Helzel, a former Curator of Prints and Drawings and dedicated supporter of the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life passed away on November 4, 2024, at the age of 103. We are saddened by the loss of our dear friend and our thoughts are with her family and loved ones.

“Florence’s impact on the Magnes and its communities cannot be overstated. Not only did she  develop an important collection of works on paper that helps distinguish the Magnes, she supported the museum philanthropically, provided invaluable counsel to museum colleagues during her tenure and long after her retirement, and built enduring relationships.” – Hannah Weisman, Executive Director of the Magnes

A native of Oakland, Florence received her bachelor’s in art history at Mills College and her master’s in art research and curatorial studies at John F. Kennedy University in her 50s. She then began a 20-year tenure at the Judah L. Magnes Museum on Russell Street, working at the museum and with the collection until the age of 81. During her curatorship, Florence organized more than a dozen exhibitions, including Remembering Ben Shahn: Selections from the Stephen Lee Taller Collection and Chagall: Master Prints and Drawings, Selections from the Magnes Museum Collection; spearheaded new acquisitions; and authored pathbreaking catalogs, including Witnesses to History: The Jewish Poster 1770-1985 and Shtetl Life: The Nathan and Faye Hurvitz Collection. 

“During her tenure, Florence established and stewarded a growing collection of prints and drawings, including hundreds of original works on Jewish themes from Europe, Israel, and the United States,” stated Magnes Curator Francesco Spagnolo. “Flo’s collecting legacy continues to inform the exhibitions of the Magnes to this day.”

In addition to her curatorial work, Florence and her husband, Leo Helzel, were long-time supporters of the museum, from its early days through its move to UC Berkeley. Florence served on the former museum’s Board of Trustees. And the Florence Helzel Collection Study Room in the current museum is named in honor of her scholarly and philanthropic contributions.

“Florence’s impact on the Magnes and its communities cannot be overstated. Not only did she  develop an important collection of works on paper that helps distinguish the Magnes, she supported the museum philanthropically, provided invaluable counsel to museum colleagues during her tenure and long after her retirement, and built enduring relationships,” said Magnes Executive Director Hannah Weisman, “My colleagues and I are inspired by Florence’s dedication to the Magnes and the people connected to it.” 

In honor of Florence’s important contributions to the Magnes and her legacy at the museum, we have installed two works on paper acquired under her curatorship: Esther by Issachar Ryback (Russia, 20th century, gouache on paper, 83.48.1) and A Young Man from a Shtetl by Meer (Meyer) Moiseevich Akselrod (Soviet Union, 1931, watercolor, gift of Amy and Mort Friedkin, 95.18). The artwork will be on display until December 19, 2024.