Diana Powell-Cotton

Item

Title

Diana Powell-Cotton

Description

Diana Powell-Cotton, together with her sister Tony, made collecting trips to southwest Angola in 1936 and 1937. They returned with thousands of artefacts and photographs, and made a number of films. They also created an important written archive which includes their diaries, copious notes on a wide variety of topics and lists of vocabulary.
Born in 1908, Diana was the eldest of four children. She grew up at Quex Park, the Powell-Cotton Museum was built in the grounds of the family home.
In 1933 Diana travelled to Sudan with her father and then on to Somalia and the Bajuni Islands alone where she collected artefacts and information. The experience gained was useful to her in planning the Angola trips, not least in refuting claims that a woman would not be cabaple of undertaking collecting work in Africa.
During World War II Diana undertook medical training and later worked as a doctor in Kenya before returning to England in 1969. She died in 1986.
There is a short biography of Diana included in the Powell-Cotton archive. We believe this to have been written by, or based on information supplied by, her younger brother Christopher. Please scroll down and click on 'Other Media' to see it in full.

Relation

Tony Powell-Cotton
PCM object collections
PCM archival collections
Kanguli related objects at the British Museum
Tchiliwandele related objects at the British Museum

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Relation
Title Alternate label Class
Ethnographic photographs and ethics: Powell Cotton Museum Text
Creator
Title Alternate label Class
Winnowing Physical Object
Two women Physical Object
Young woman with elende hairstyle Physical Object
Young woman with elende hairstyle Physical Object
Owambo Kraal Physical Object
Owambo Kraal (2) Physical Object
Butter Churning Physical Object
Butter Churning (2) Physical Object
Grain store Physical Object
Harvesting Grain Physical Object
Winnowing Physical Object
Winnowing (2) Physical Object
Making a grain store Physical Object
Grain Stores Physical Object
Wooden fencing Physical Object
Wooden Fencing Physical Object
Fencing - close up Physical Object
Preparing Grain Physical Object
Collecting grain Physical Object
Two women, one smoking Physical Object
Two women, one smoking (2) Physical Object
Man with pipe Physical Object
Three people sitting Physical Object
Young woman Physical Object