Sigrid Thornton is one of Australia’s most respected, popular and prolific screen and television actors. She has starred in many classic Australian films, including The Getting of Wisdom (1978), The Man from Snowy River (1982), The Lighthorsemen (1987) and The Man From Snowy River 2 (1988).
Artist, playwright, actor, novelist, director
Long overshadowed by her extraordinary life and her relationship with Edward Weston, she was viewed as his muse, rather than as a gifted photographer in her right. Despite a remarkably short career in photography – just seven years – she created a body of iconic images that confirmed her place in history.
Unlike her few other female contemporaries, such as Bridget Riley, Boty refused to to negate her feminine side and was not overly concerned with seeming serious, intellectual or dispassionate at the expense of her true self. Boty instead celebrated these supposedly “feminine” traits. Her work came unabashedly from a woman’s perspective and it was emotionally engaged and celebratory towards women’s sexual desires.
At the time of her death, Witarina Harris was described by politician Tariana Turia as a ‘cherished kuia of Ngāti Whakaue o Te Arawa waka; darling of the silver screen; and one of Aotearoa’s original movie stars’.
Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāi Tahu; photographer, actor, director
Most Americans know Shirley Temple as the adorable child actor with curly hair who graced movie screens from 1935 to 1938. After enjoying a successful career as an entertainer, Temple dedicated herself to public service, working as a politician and ambassador.
One of the most popular film and music stars of the 1930s and 1940s, Marlene Dietrich was known for her fashionable style and diverse portrayals of loose women. She was a firm advocate for the American war effort, contributing much of her time, energy and musical talents to aid the troops.
Lucille Ball was an American actress and pioneer in comedy. She was the star of the popular television series, I Love Lucy. As an entertainer and businesswoman, Ball continuously broke barriers for women in entertainment business.
Only 17 years old when the Civil War began, Isabella “Belle” Boyd would become one of the most famous female Confederate spies, hailed by some as the “Cleopatra of Secession.” Her colorful postwar life also included several marriages and stints as an actress and author.