Kathleen Rishbeth facts for kids
Kathleen Haddon Rishbeth (born May 13, 1888 – died September 6, 1961) was a British scientist who studied animals (a zoologist). She was also a photographer and loved collecting and studying string figures. String figures are patterns made by looping string between your fingers. She was married to Oswald Rishbeth, a geographer from Australia.
Contents
Growing Up and Learning
Kathleen Haddon was born in Kingstown, Ireland. Her father, A. C. Haddon, was an anthropologist, someone who studies human societies and cultures. She went to the Perse School for Girls and then to Newnham College, Cambridge. In 1907, she started studying zoology there.
In 1909, Kathleen and her sister Mary traveled with their parents to the United States. They helped collect string games from towns along the coast of Alaska. At that time, women could not officially get a degree from Cambridge University. Kathleen finally received her degree in 1948. From 1911 to 1914, she worked as a University Demonstrator in Zoology. This meant she helped teach students about animals.
Her Work and Travels
In 1914, Kathleen went on a trip with her father to Papua. She was the photographer for their three-month survey of the southern coast. She used a small, portable camera to take secret photos. She also used a larger camera for more planned pictures. Kathleen wrote about her journey, but her story was never published.
Family Life
In September 1917, Kathleen Haddon married Oswald Rishbeth. He was a geographer and expert in ancient history from Australia. Oswald served in the British military during World War I. They had three children together. Their sons, John and Henry Rishbeth, also became scientists. John was a biologist, and Henry was a physicist.
Kathleen Haddon Rishbeth passed away in Cambridge in 1961.
Her Books and Articles
Kathleen Haddon Rishbeth wrote several books and articles about string figures and her travels.
Books She Wrote
- Cat's Cradles from Many Lands. London: Longmans, Green & Co, 1901.
- Artists in String, String Figures: Their Regional Distribution and Social Significance. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 1930.
- String Games for Beginners. 1934.
Articles She Wrote
- 'In Papua with a Piece of String', The Chronicle of the London Missionary Society, July 1915, p. 140.
- 'Some Australian String Figures', Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, N.S. Vol. 30, No. 2 (1918), pp. 121–36. Melbourne: Ford & Son.
- 'In the Gulf of New Guinea', Country Life Vol. 24 (1929), pp. 268–70.
