Lotte Hass(1928-2015)

With husband Hans Hass, Lotte (born Charlotte Hildegard Baierl in Vienna) formed half of a famous diving team who pioneered underwater filming for television in the 1950's, achieving international acclaim with the documentary Adventures in the Red Sea (1951), a first prize-winning entry at the Venice Film Festival. The following year they were married. Hans and Lotte first introduced the undersea realm to BBC audiences with Diving to Adventure (1956). Until her virtual retirement in 1958, Lotte advanced from merely adding glamour as a decorative 'underwater model' to becoming one of the very first female marine photographers, in the process earning herself the sobriquet 'The First Lady of Diving'. Though she had offers from Hollywood (notably from RKO chief executive Sol Lesser), Lotte had no interest in pursuing an acting career, choosing instead to remain at her husband's side as co-producer of his films and co-writer of several books detailing their adventures.