In the strange way that seems to happen quite often when you are rootling around in the dusty papers of archives, I have recently stumbled upon another very unusual woman* who was a pioneer in her work and her life. I found a mention of Joy Ferguson in a slim folder of press cuttings in…
Letting The Women In – When did engineering organisations first admit women?
The early history of women becoming professional engineers in the UK, at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries is full of the barriers and gatekeepers which had to be passed before women could get in. Obviously, getting the education was one barrier but another was that the professionalisation of engineering brought about…
Miss Benest and Miss Griff – two women or one?
I have recently been honoured to be asked by the publishers of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography to write proposals for two women in the early history of women working as engineers in the UK: Margaret Rowbotham and Cleone de Hevingham Griff. From my general gathering of information (I have some 400 women engineers…
The Baker-Michaelson Collection of books on women in STEM
The following collection of about 200 books have been donated by myself and my friend Dr Rosa Michaelson to the Lovelace-Drummond section on women in STEM at the Glasgow Women’s Library. We also donated a lot of ‘grey materials’ – reports and so on which are often not allocated ISBNs and often don’t get archived…
Daphne Jackson (1936-91)
In my (very slow) work indexing the names of all the women mentioned in the Women’s Engineering Society’s journal, The Woman Engineer since 1919, I have just found the first mention of Daphne Jackson, in Volume 10, issue 2 of 1966. She is listed as just having joined the society in the Member grade: “Miss…
Caroline Haslett, DBE, on Equality
“Assume equality. Don’t be apologetic. Men are quick to sense it and to take advantage. Don’t try to be both a business-woman and a housewife. Hire somebody to mend your stockings. Men in executive positions have learned to travel comfortably. Learn to do the same. Don’t waste your energy on small things.” [from a biography…
The Electrical Association for Women (EAW) – Recipes from Earlier Decades
Originally posted on IET Archives Blog:
Given the interest generated by the recent high profile news story, when it was suggested that some of the nations’ favourite recipes would no longer be available via the BBC website, we thought that we would delve into the archives of the EAW to find some recipes for those…
Recognition at last (at last) for Sarah Guppy
In 1811 Sarah Guppy patented a method for making safe abutments for suspension bridges. In 2006 the Clifton and Hotwells Improvement Society arranged for a plaque to be unveiled at her former home, 7 Richmond Hill, by her descendant Nicholas Guppy. In 2006 I was invited, by the Townswomens Guild to speak at their AGM…
Women who worked at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough
Muriel Baker (Mrs. Glauert) Francis Bradfield Anne Burns (there is a book about her) Letitia Chitty Chrystelle Fougere Miss Giles Helen Gleeson Pauline Gower Miss C. Griff Miss M. F. Howell Hilda M. Lyon (there is a privately published small book about her) Kate Maslen Miss Pearce Miss Peatfield Miss Pettifer Molly G. B. Quennell…
Women in the history of engineering in the UK
This is the excerpt for a placeholder post. It can be deleted, or edited to make it your own.
