Herstory Matters

"The absence of women in history is man made." nextyearsgirl // Dedicated to exploring, analyzing, celebrating, and even criticizing the overlooked women of history.

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Anna Atkins (March 16, 1799 – June 9, 1871)

An English botanist and photographer who is now considered to be the first person to publish a book illustrated with photographic images, if not the first woman to create a photograph

Raised by her father, she was given an advanced scientific education for a woman in the 1800s. Due to her friendship with men involved in the new photographing process, she combined her interest in botany with photography and made cyanotype photograms of seaweed She handwrote and self-published her first Atkins installment of Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions in October 1843 and went on to publish three volumes

(Source: Wikipedia)

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Merit-Ptah (c. 2700 BCE)

A physician in ancient Egypt, notable for being the first woman known by name in the history of science Her son, who was a High Priest, described her as “the Chief Physician”, though there is little known about her (Source: Wikipedia)

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Katharine Bushnell (February 5, 1855 - January 26, 1946)

A medical doctor, Bible scholar, medical missionary, and social activist who revolutionized the way women are viewed and portrayed in the Bible with her text, God's Word to Women After studying various translations of the Bible, she determined that male scholars had misinterpreted and confused passages related to gender equality and argued that through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the original equality between men and women was restored, as God had intended  She argued: “Supposing women only had translated the Bible, from age to age, is there a likelihood that men would have rested content with the outcome? Therefore, our brothers have no good reason to complain if, while conceding that men have done the best they could alone, we assert that they did not do the best that could have been done. The work would have been of a much higher order had they first helped women to learn the sacred languages (instead of putting obstacles in their way), and then, have given them a place by their side on translations committees.”

(Source: Wikipedia)

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Octavia E. Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006)

Preeminent American science fiction writer who was the recipient of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, along with being the first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur Fellowship  A shy child, Octavia turned towards science fiction as a form of escapism and began writing at the age of 12. Her first short story was published in 1971 and according to Junot Diaz, she has written nine perfect novels, which touch on issues of race, class, sexuality, and feminism through the use of metaphoric language and speculative fiction Today, the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship provides writers of color with the ability to attend the same workshops where Octavia got her start (Source: Wikipedia)

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Aspasia ( c. 470 BC – c. 400 BC)

An influential immigrant to Athens, Aspasia was a highly educated and respected woman whose house became a center for the most prominent writers and thinkers of Ancient Greece, including Socrates. She is mentioned in the writings of Plato, Aristophanes, and more. Though little is known about her life, her role in history is so important that a scholar once declared, “To ask questions about Aspasia, is to ask questions about half of humanity.“

Born in modern-day Turkey, Aspasia must have come from a wealthy family due to the high level of her education. Some historians argue that after arriving in Athens, she ran a brothel and became a hetaera (high-class entertainer), who were women that were educated, had independence and paid taxes, unlike other Athenian women

Noted for her conversational skills and advice, men actually brought their wives to hear her speak. She was attacked, however, for her so-called immoral life and accused of corrupting the women of Athens. Little is known about her later years and death, though her influence is still felt to this day

(Source: Wikipedia)

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Ida Lupino (4 February 1918 - August 3 1995)

An English-American pioneer among women filmmakers who worked as both an actress and a director

Along with working in Hollywood, she served as a Lieutenant in the Women’s Ambulance and Defense Corps. during WWII and also was a music composer

During her suspension from Warner Bros. from refusing films that she believed her below her dignity as an actress, she turned towards directing She wrote, produced, and directed her own films, becoming the first woman in Hollywood to do so, and started her own independent film company. Several of her films were about social issues, including “Outrage” which was about rape

Has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to film and television

(Source: Wikipedia)

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Evelyn Boyd Granville (born May 1, 1924)

One of the first African-American women to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics

After graduating summa cum laude in 1945 from Smith College, she went for her doctorate in mathematics at Yale University, where she studied functional analysis with mathematician, Einar Hille, finishing her doctorate in 1949. Her dissertation was entitled: "On Laguerre Series in the Complex Domain."

Along with teaching at several universities and colleges, Evelyn has worked at IBM, the U.S. Space Technology Laboratories, and the North American Aviation Space and Information Systems Division. She has also worked to create more elementary school math enrichment programs

(Source: Wikipedia)

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Nanye-hi, known in English as Nancy Ward (ca. 1738 – 1822 or 1824)

A ghigau (Cherokee: ᎩᎦᎤ) or agigaue (Cherokee:ᎠᎩᎦᎤᎡ) of the Cherokee (in English, translate to “Beloved Woman”), which is a prestigious title that illustrates her impact in the Cherokee community and/or prowess on the battlefield

Believed in peaceful coexistence between European-Americans and her people and also sat in on councils while also acting as an ambassador and peace negotiator

Married twice, she assisted her first husband during the Battle of Taliwa by chewing his bullets so the resulting jagged edges would cause more damage to victims. After her husband was killed, she picked up his rifle and lead her people to victory

Her efforts to coexist with European settlers led to her learning new looming techniques and about cattle raising, thus changing Cherokee society forever and introducing slavery into the community. She was among the first Cherokee to own African-American slaves

Tried to use diplomacy with white settlers but was repeatedly ignored or was shocked when she went to delegates and saw that there were no female negotiators. When another delegate claimed to be shocked that a woman would participate in such negotiations, she replied: "You know that women are always looked upon as nothing; but we are your mothers; you are our sons. Our cry is all for peace; let it continue. This peace must last forever. Let your women's sons be ours; our sons be yours. Let your women hear our words."

(Source: Wikipedia)

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Effie Gray (1828 – December 23, 1897)

Victorian socialite best known for her scandalous "love triangle" with art critic John Ruskin and painter John Everett Millais

Matched and married to Ruskin, though their different personalities caused tension in their relationship. Their marriage remained unconsummated for five years, due to Ruskin's apparent disgust with her body. She filed for annulment and afterwards, married Ruskin's protege, Millais

Along with giving birth to and raising eight children, Effie helped manage her husband's art career and often collaborated with him

Due to the scandal, she was no longer allowed to be presence of Queen Victoria, though these regulations eventually eased with the passing years

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Che Siti Wan Kembang (ruled from 1548 to 1580)

Legendary queen regnant over a region in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, which is now encompassed within Kelantan state. Famous for her beauty and wisdom, she was always a warrior who was said to to enter battle on horseback with an army of female horseriders

Together with her adopted daughter, she was said to have mystical powers. She never married or bore children of her own and is said to have not died but "disappeared" into the mystical world, only to reappear from time to time

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Alina Szapocznikow (May 16, 1926 – March 2, 1973)

Polish sculptor who was imprisoned in the Pabianice and Łódź Ghettos and survived the Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen and Theresienstadt German Nazi concentration camps after working as a nurse in Poland

After the war, she studied at the Artistic Industrial College under the tutelage of Josef Wagner, after which she attended Paul Niclausse's atelier at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris

After her marriage, she adopted a son and was diagnosed with tuberculous but continued working in the Polish art scene

Her sculptures began to combine fragmented body parts with revolutionary sculpting materials including polyester and polyurethane. Her work is focused on the body and the survival of pain

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Enheduanna (2285–2250 BCE)

Akkadian princess as well as High Priestess of the Moon god Nanna in the Sumerian city-state of Ur, also considered to be the world's earliest known author and poet and one of the earliest women in history with a known name

Her corpus of literary works are definitively ascribed to her by archeological evidence and includes several personal devotions to the goddess Inanna and a collection of hymns known as the "Sumerian Temple Hymns," regarded as one of the first attempts at a systematic theology

In addition to Enheduanna, royal wives of ancient Mesopotamia are known to have commissioned or perhaps composed poetryand the goddess Nindaba acted as a scribe, demonstrating the importance of women in cultural society

After Enheduanna's death, her role in ancient society was so important that she developed semi-divine status

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Imogene Coca (November 18, 1908 – June 2, 2001)

American comic actress who started out in vaudeville as an acrobat, then went on to study acting and ballet before working in comedy alongside Sid Caesar

Won the second ever Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Your Show of Shows

Also worked on literary adaptations for children, Broadway shows, and films. Her rubbery facial expressions were a huge part of her repertoire and she has influenced such varied comedians as Whoopi Goldberg, Carol Burnett, and Lily Tomlin

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Trưng sisters (c. 12 – c. AD 43)

Vietnamese warriors and military leader who rebelled against Chinese rule in Vietnam and consequently ruled together for three years

According to Vietnamese tradition, the two sisters were raised in a military family and were familiar with martial arts. As Chinese assimilation expanded throughout Vietnam, they witnessed cruelty at the hands of Chinese overlords and the two women decided to take a stand against the Chinese

After successfully repelling a Chinese unit from their village, the two formed a small army of mostly women and reclaimed roughly 65 citadels from Chinese rule and became queens of their country for the next three years

Upon the advancement of a superior Chinese army, the two sisters committed suicide and now are considered national heroes in Vietnam

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Émilie du Châtelet (December 17, 1706  – September 10, 1749)

French mathematician, physicist and author who most famously translated Sir Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica into French, complete with her own commentary

With a strong educational background, it wasn't until she was 26 that she was able to resume her mathematical studies. She eventually became lovers with Voltaire and together, they worked on writing and translations, though her focus was still on mathematics and physics. Together, they both submitted papers to the 1738 Paris Academy prize contest on the nature of fire. Though neither won, they were both published, thus making Émilie the first woman to have a scientific paper published by the Academy

Her own work on the science of fire predicted what is today known as infrared radiation. She also helped promote the understanding of kinetic energy in physics. Her translation of Principia Mathematica is still considered the standard translation of the text in French

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Yaa Asantewaauhi (c. 1840–17 October 1921)

The appointed queen mother of Ejisu in the Ashanti Empire, now part of modern-day Ghana

Led the Ashanti rebellion, known as the War of the Golden Stool, and also known as the Yaa Asantewaa war, against British colonialism in 1900

When the British governor-general of the Gold Coast demanded the Golden Stool (the divine and royal throne of the Ashanti people), a secret meeting was held by members of the Asante government

During this meeting, Yaa stood up and declared: Now I see that some of you fear to go forward to fight for our king. If it was in the brave days of Osei Tutu, Okomfo Anokye, and Opoku Ware I, chiefs would not sit down to see their king to be taken away without firing a shot. No European could have dared speak to chiefs of Asante in the way the governor spoke to you this morning. Is it true that the bravery of Asante is no more? I cannot believe it. It cannot be! I must say this: if you, the men of Asante, will not go forward, then we will. We, the women, will. I shall call upon my fellow women. We will fight! We will fight till the last of us falls in the battlefields!

The rebellion laid siege to the fort at Kumasi where the British had sought refuge and Yaa was captured and sent into exile, where she later died

Nonetheless, the British required a force of 1,400 to quell the rebellion

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Srpouhi Dussap (1840–1901)

Armenian feminist and first female Armenian novelist

Born to an upper class Armenian Catholic family, Srpouhi received an excellent education and and began her first creative writing attempts in classical Armenian

Married a French musician and together, hosted literary salons featuring artists intellectuals, writers, and activists

Active in philanthropic work that promoted the education of women

Stopped writing for publication after the death of her daughter in 1891

Today, her writing is considered feminist and included essays on the status of women and their education and employment. The theme of female subordination and lack of financial independence was a major theme in her novels

Her concern for the treatment of women in the patriarchal Ottoman Empire earned her the resentment of some prominent Armenian intellectuals but she is still considered an inspiration for Armenian female writers and journalists