Anne Immink
Anne Immink (1889-1941) was a soprano and occasional actress.
Contents
Biography
Born Anna Elizabeth Immink, she was the daughter of Johannes Carolus (Karel) Immink, a German-born Dutch immigrant to South Africa, and his second wife, Diana Elizabeth de Beer. Though born in the small town of Vredefort, she settled in Johannesburg and became a well-known personality around town. Abraham Immink, who was mayor of Johannesburg from 1944 to 1945, was her brother. She died in Johannesburg on 26 November 1941 at the Florence Nightingale Nursing Home. She was not married.
Trivia: Her father’s first wife, with whom he came out to South Africa, was Jeannette Diest, who deserted her husband and young son and left with a British officer for India. As Jeanne Immink she later became a pioneer in the field of mountaineering, an activity that had hitherto been reserved for men. Over the years she conquered many peaks across Europe, opening the way for other female mountaineers.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
She was an amateur actress of some talent and a highly regarded soprano. She frequently featured in charity concerts, such as her 1917 appearance in One Summer’s Day for the Governor-General’s & Red Cross Funds. The following year she was in an amateur production of The Gondoliers at the Standard Theatre. In 1920 she was in the cast of Oh, Joy! at His Majesty’s Theatre and was one of the soloists when Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elijah was performed at the Johannesburg City Hall in 1921. Also in 1921 she was in the cast of The Magic Key at the Palladium Theatre, playing Maid Marion opposite Billy Matthews’ Robin Hood. Produced by Muriel Alexander and with music by David Foote, the proceeds went to the Transvaal Children’s Hospital. She also acted in one film when she played the wife of Piet Retief in the Afrikaans-language version of Die Bou van ‘n Nasie (1938) opposite Myles Bourke.
Sources
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5996793/
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