Heloísa Alberto Torres (17 September 1895 – 23 February 1977), also known as Dona Heloísa, [1] was Brazilian anthropologist and museum director. [2]
Heloísa Alberto Torres was born on 17 September 1895 in Rio de Janeiro. Her father Alberto Torres was a journalist and politician. Edgar Roquette-Pinto(1884 – 1954), who was an assistant professor of anthropology at the National Museum of Brazil and a friend of Alberto Torres, brought Heloísa as an intern to the Anthropology section of the Museum. [3] [4] She became one of the first women to join the National Museum along with Bertha Lutz. [5]
In the beginning of her career, she had “no formal training in anthropology”, [1] but she gradually developed her interest on it. The excavation of ancient ceramics from Marajo Island was her “notable fieldwork”. [6] In 1935 she was appointed as vice director of the National Museum, and in 1938 she became the director, a position she held for nearly two decades, until her retirement in 1955. [1] [6]
She used her “wide network of relations in both politics and Brazilian public administration” to generate adequate resources for training anthropologists to study the indigenous peoples in Brazil. [7] While she was the director, she signed an agreement with Columbia University to advance ethnological studies in Brazil. [8] [9] Museum's collections were used to teach the visiting scholars. [10]
She played an important role in developing “Brazilian indigenist policies”. [7]
She died on 23 February 1977 in Rio de Janeiro.
Heloísa Alberto Torres (17 September 1895 – 23 February 1977), also known as Dona Heloísa, [1] was Brazilian anthropologist and museum director. [2]
Heloísa Alberto Torres was born on 17 September 1895 in Rio de Janeiro. Her father Alberto Torres was a journalist and politician. Edgar Roquette-Pinto(1884 – 1954), who was an assistant professor of anthropology at the National Museum of Brazil and a friend of Alberto Torres, brought Heloísa as an intern to the Anthropology section of the Museum. [3] [4] She became one of the first women to join the National Museum along with Bertha Lutz. [5]
In the beginning of her career, she had “no formal training in anthropology”, [1] but she gradually developed her interest on it. The excavation of ancient ceramics from Marajo Island was her “notable fieldwork”. [6] In 1935 she was appointed as vice director of the National Museum, and in 1938 she became the director, a position she held for nearly two decades, until her retirement in 1955. [1] [6]
She used her “wide network of relations in both politics and Brazilian public administration” to generate adequate resources for training anthropologists to study the indigenous peoples in Brazil. [7] While she was the director, she signed an agreement with Columbia University to advance ethnological studies in Brazil. [8] [9] Museum's collections were used to teach the visiting scholars. [10]
She played an important role in developing “Brazilian indigenist policies”. [7]
She died on 23 February 1977 in Rio de Janeiro.