Roslyn Poignant
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12 May 1927
Roslyn Poignant | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Roslyn Betty Izatt 12 May 1927 |
| Died | 7 November 2019 (aged 92) |
| Education | University of Sydney |
| Occupation | photographic anthropologist |
| Spouse | Axel Poignant |
Roslyn Betty Poignant (12 May 1927 – 7 November 2019) was an Australian photographic anthropologist who collaboratively published, interpreted, and repatriated her husband Axel Poignant's photos of indigenous peoples from Arnhem Land, Papua New Guinea, and Tahiti. Poignant was involved in photographing and writing about museum collections of the material culture of Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Australia. Poignant is known for her finding, researching and repatriating an 1885 photograph taken in Paris by anthropological photographer Roland Bonaparte of three Queensland indigenous persons taken to form part of an international touring troupe, for P. T. Barnum's circus. These were people presumed lost to the Manbarra of Palm Island[1][2]
Poignant was born in Marouba (Sydney) in 1927 as Roslyn Betty Izatt. She credited her parents, Miriam (born Audet) and David Izatt, as being responsible for her deep sense of social justice.[1]
Poignant was educated at Sydney Girls High School and then went on take history and anthropology at the University of Sydney. She began studying pictures of indigenous Australians in her first job working with linguist Ted Strehlow who had recorded some of their ceremonies. They were working for the Australian government's film unit and colleagues introduced her to the photographer Axel Poignant. She was to be both his work partner and his third wife. They met in 1950 but they did not marry until 1953 after the death of his second wife.[1] They visited Britain in 1956 and ended up emigrating joining other ex-pats in England.[3]
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