10am-5pm, 16 July 2013 at The Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1.
The history of women’s participation in science is an incomplete and fractured one: for much of the nineteenth century women were typically excluded from ‘masculine’ scientific societies and networks and so negotiated a space to work only at the periphery of their disciplines. As a result, evidence of their scientific contribution is incomplete, scattered and often hidden in the archive.
This workshop seeks to identify women working in science – defined in its broadest sense – from 1830 through to the twentieth century; our aim is to find previously neglected or concealed trails and to use them to evolve a strategy for locating and interrogating records which illuminate the history of scientific women. We shall ask key questions including: What evidence do we already have and where are the gaps? Why were some women recognised by scientific societies and others not? In what ways should we define ‘inclusion’ and ‘exclusion’ in science? To what extent can we understand women’s experience as scientists as a gendered one?
We extend a warm invitation to historians and to archivists from any type of archive (not just those of scientific institutions) which may have records of women active, both formally and informally, in science. Archivists based beyond London are particularly encouraged to attend. The day will include presentations in the morning from professional archivists – including Anne Locker (Institute of Engineering and Technology) and Joanna Corden (The Royal Society) – and historian of science Patricia Fara, with the afternoon devoted to discussion, networking and strategic planning. Lunch will be provided.
Places are limited so please register asap of by June 30 2013 at the latest by visitingwww.womeninscience.net . For information contact Claire Jones: clairegj@liverpool.ac.uk or Felicity Henderson: Felicity.Henderson@royalsociety.org.uk