Womanica

Margaret S. Collins (1922-1996) was a pioneering entomologist and civil rights activist, known for being the first African American woman to earn a PhD in entomology. Specializing in termites, she conducted significant research, including field studies in Guyana, and contributed to both science and social equality, becoming a prominent figure in both the scientific and civil rights communities.

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Ch’en Shu (1660–1736) was a Chinese painter from the Qing dynasty, known for her exquisite flower-and-bird paintings that blended precision with delicate beauty. As one of the few recognized female artists of her time, she mastered traditional painting techniques while incorporating her own refined sense of composition and color. 

For Further Reading:

• ‘The Mountains are Quiet and the D...

Winona LaDuke (1959-present) is an environmental activist, economist, and writer of Ojibwe descent. Winona has dedicated her life to working on issues of land reclamation and food sovereignty, as well advocating for the rights of Native women, and participating in decades of protest against oil pipelines encroaching on and destroying native land. 

For Further Reading: 

• Seed Sovereignty: Who Owns the Seeds of the Worl...

Buffalo Bird Woman (c. 1839-1932), also known as Maxidiwiac, was a Hidatsa woman whose recollections on traditional Hidatsa culture, customs, and especially agricultural knowledge, were written down and preserved through interviews at the turn of the 20th century.

For Further Reading: 

• Buffalo Bird Woman’s Garden
• Stories Behind Objects, Maxi’diwiac
• Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, Maxidiwiac...

Hattie Carthan (1900-1984) was a community activist and environmentalist from Brooklyn, New York. She led efforts to preserve trees, revitalize public parks, and improve her Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, most notably saving a Southern magnolia tree. She received a distinguished service medal from the city and was elected to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's governing committee.

For Further Reading:

• A Magnolia...

Sophie Lutterlough (1910-2009) was an American entomologist who spent 40 years working at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. She started out as the museum’s first woman elevator operator, and eventually became an entomologist. 

 
For Further Reading: 

• Smithsonian Institute Archives: Sophie Lutterlough’s Career at the National Museum of Natural History 

Susan Fenimore Cooper (1813-1894) was a writer and amateur naturalist, best known for her “Rural Hours,” her nature diary of Cooperstown, New York. The book was reprinted nine times in her lifetime, and she is considered one of the first American nature writers. Through her writing, she sought to educate readers about the natural world and encourage them to value and protect it.

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Theodosia Burr Shepherd (1845-1906) was an American botanist, horticulturist, and pioneer in plant breeding known as the “Flower Wizard of California”. She is known for developing new varieties of flowers including cosmos, poppies, and begonias. The most famous being the ‘Heavenly Blue’ morning glory, and the ‘Golden West’ California Poppy. 

For Further Reading:

• Ventu...

Mary Vaux Walcott (1860-1940) was an American artist, botanist, and naturalist known as the “Audubon of Botany” for her detailed watercolor illustrations of North American wildflowers. She was also a pioneer in photography, glacial studies, and mountaineering.

For Further Reading:

• Mary Vaux Walcott | Banff, AB - Official Website
• Mary Vaux Walcott - Conservation HeritageConserva...

Helia Bravo Hollis (1901-2001) was a pioneering Mexican botanist and the country’s first formally titled biologist, specializing in the study and conservation of cacti. She classified over 700 cacti species, helped establish UNAM’s Botanical Garden, and co-founded the Mexican Cactus Society.

For Further Reading:

• Helia Bravo-Hollis | Science History Institute
• A lifetime among Ca...

Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750) was a Dutch still-life painter from the Netherlands, specializing in depicting flowers. Her career spanned over six decades and earned her international fame. She is now considered the best-documented female painter of the Dutch Golden Age.

For Further Reading: 

• Mauritshuis: Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750) Famous both at home and abroad
• Rachel Ruysch’s Exquis...

Tapputi is widely regarded as one of the first known chemists, and her name appears in a Mesopotamian cuneiform tablet dating to approximately 1200 BCE. She is believed to have worked in the Babylonian royal palace, where she held the title of “Belatekallim,” meaning a female overseer or supervisor. Tapputi is most famous for making perfumes, the descriptions of her work provide some of the earliest documented evidence ...

Gloria Lim (1930-2022) was a mycologist known for her extensive work in the study of fungi, particularly in Southeast Asia. With a passion for exploring the diverse fungal ecosystems, she made significant contributions to the understanding of both native and rare species. Her research and advocacy helped raise awareness about the ecological importance of fungi and their role in maintaining biodiversity.

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Kono Yasui (1880-1971) was a Japanese biologist and cytologist who became the first Japanese woman to receive a doctoral degree in science. Her academic and scientific career defied gender norms of the time and made important advancements in genetics.

For Further Reading: 

• How a Pioneering Botanist Broke Down Japan’s Gender Barriers | Smithsonian
• Kono Yasui 1880-...

Cubah Cornwallis (c. 1700s) was a Jamaican nurse who lived from the mid to late 18th century until 1848. Cubah was likely born into slavery, but eventually gained her freedom and settled in Port Royal, opening a lodging house that doubled as an early hospital. She was known throughout the port city for her healing techniques that nursed many naval officers back to health. Her methods drew from Obeah tradition and practice. Cubah is...

Commandant Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan (1879-1967) was an acclaimed botanist who studied and published papers and textbooks on the reproduction of fungi. She also had a military career in both World Wars, and was appointed the first Chief Controller of the Auxiliary Territorial Service. 

For Further Reading: 

• Fungi and the forces: The pioneering life of Helen Gwynne-Vaughan
• Helen G...

Maria Tereza Jorge Pàdua (1943 - present) is a Brazilian ecologist, conservationist and biologist who is celebrated as the "Mother of Brazilian National Parks.” Maria has had a lifelong dedication to preserving the biodiversity of Brazil, and she has helped establish and manage dozens of national parks across the country. Her conservation efforts have been particularly impactful in the Amazon rainforest.

For Further Re...

Plautilla Bricci (1616-1705) was an Italian artist and architect, regarded as one of the first female architects of modern Europe. She is best known for designing the Villa Benedetta in the 1660’s as well Chapel of St. Louis in the church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, completed in 1677.

For Further Reading:

• Plautilla Bricci (1616-1705): Italy's First Woman Architect - Inside The Vatican 

Sarah Winchester (1839-1922) was a wealthy widow who spent decades of her life building a never ending house, full of countless rooms, corridors, and stairwells. The Winchester Mystery House is now a historic landmark, and can be visited in San Jose, where it is located. 

For Further Reading:

• Sarah Winchester's Story
• Winchester Mystery House Is One Of America’s Strangest, Most Interesting Homes
• Captive of the Labyri...