Colin Turnbull

Collin Macmillan Turnball was a famous British anthropologist who was born on November 23, 1924 and died the 28th of July of 1994. Collin was born in London and achieved his studies of politics and philosophy at Magdalen College in Oxford. Turnbull was one of the first anthropologists who worked in the field of ethnomusicology. Turnball decided to work for a life-long with African Pygmies. This made him one of the most famous intelligent person in respect to African Pygmies during the 1060s and 1070s. One interesting fact about Turnbull, is that he fell in love with a poor African American man named Joe Towles who became Turnbull’s stout as did the creation of the Pygmies. It is said that he lived in a very open relationship for 30 years in New York City and Virginia until Joe Towles died of AIDS in the year 1988. For the rest of the years Turnbull lived as a Buddhist monk tutored by Dalai Lama’s oldest brother and gave away most of his money. Through life, Turnball accomplished many jobs that lead to him studying anthropology in Oxford back in 1954 and it is when he discovers that he is born to be an anthropologist. He worked as an anthropologist in many states in the US and even worked for the Department of Sociology and Anthroplogy of Virginia. Turnball even wrote a book named The Forest People which consisted of the impressive study he made of BaMbuti. Collin rejected neutrality and it is said that his visit to Africa and the study of the pygmies may have distorted their normal behaviors and customs.

http://www.colinturnbull.com/