Women in History
-
Laura Bassi (1711-1778): First Female Professor
Portrait of Laura Bassi: Carlo Vandi, eighteenth century. Wikimedia Commons: find the original here. The last couple of weeks I’ve been doing some reading about women travelling in Europe during the eighteenth century, and I came across a reference in letters sent between the Countesses of Pomfret and Hertford detailing the Countess of Pomfret, Henrietta read more
-
Elena Cornaro Piscopia (1646 – 1684): First woman to gain a PhD
Portrait of Elena Cornaro Piscopia: unknown artist, possibly 18th century. Wikimedia Commons: find the original here. Today marks 340 years since the first woman gained her PhD. In wake of the wonderful #ImmodestWomen explosion on Twitter, which has encouraged women to own their achievements and celebrate their PhDs and research following a stand made by read more
-
Dynastic Strategist, Architectural Patroness and Businesswoman: Bess of Hardwick
Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury by Unknown Artist, probably 17th century based on a work c.1590, oil on canvas (on display Montacute House, NPG 203) Elizabeth Talbot, or, as she is more commonly known, Bess of Hardwick, was born into a Derbyshire gentry family that became increasingly impoverished and subjected her childhood to hardships, but read more
-
“C’est mon plaisir” – Isabella Stewart Gardner and her collection
Isabella Stewart Gardner by John Singer Sargent, 1888, oil on canvas (Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum P30WI) Above the central portal to the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum is her motto: “C’est mon plaisir” (“it is my pleasure”) This sums up perfectly the collection housed at Fenway Court: a unique and beautiful museum created by a unique read more
-
Collector, Traveller and the Life and Soul of the Party: Elizabeth Percy, 1st Duchess of Northumberland
Happy International Women’s Day! Seeing all the amazing articles and tweets flying around today about pioneering women the whole world over has really inspired me to think about the women in history who I really admire. I research women’s history, so today is really important in terms of reflecting on how far we’ve come as read more
-
Girls in the Lead! The Girlguiding Movement
Today is International Women’s Day and I thought this was a perfect chance to talk about one of the biggest women’s movements across the world – Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Present in 146 countries worldwide, reaching ten million girls and young women, it is an incredibly dynamic movement and one which is close to read more
Subscribe
Enter your email below to receive updates.
Dr. Lizzie Rogers 