MAKplus: Barbara Pflaum and her cameras

Experience historic Rolleiflex medium-format cameras up close: a camera expert demonstrates how they work and offers insights into Barbara Pflaum’s photographic practice. The program concludes with a guided tour of the exhibition.

Barbara Pflaum (1912–2002) was one of the few women who worked as photojournalists for pictorial magazines in the 1950s. Men dominated this profession in the first two postwar decades, while women in Europe and the United States returned to domestic life. This was not the case for Pflaum, who came across photography at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, where she had taken up studies as a 40-year-old divorcée with three children.

Wed, 29.4.2026 2.30 pm — 4 pm

MAK – Museum of Applied Arts

Black and white photograph of a woman at a newspaper stand

Between vernissages, conferences, and premieres, Barbara Pflaum tirelessly roamed the streets of Vienna and observed its inhabitants. Situational photographs and masterful portraits not only bring to light her extraordinary powers of observation, her sense of humor, and her phenomenal flair for form, but also reveal an encompassing social sensibility.

In collaboration with

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Meeting point: MAK Columned Hall
To ensure a pleasant museum visit, the number of participants per event is limited. We therefore recommend booking your visit in advance to secure your spot.
Guided tour fee: € 10 plus admission
In addition to the event ticket (MAKplus), an admission ticket is required. The admission ticket can be added to your cart after selecting the event ticket.