18th Century Scientific Collecting with Dr Emma Gleadhill

Jane Austen lived prior to the professionalisation and institutionalisation of science, marked by the coinage of the term ‘scientist’ by William Whewell in 1833. The early scientists, or ‘natural philosophers’, of her period wanted to promote their work, so they encouraged women to become involved, albeit in a ‘polite’ capacity. Many women travellers therefore attended scientific lectures, filled their bags with rocks and seeds, and roamed the shores of beaches in search of shells and seaweed. Some, like the Beauforts, were more interested in specimen collecting as a social and aesthetic activity, others sought to become actively involved in scientific endeavour. In this talk, we will take a brief look at three such women.

Dr Emma Gleadhill is a social and cultural historian, and watercolour artist, based in Melbourne, Australia. She is specifically interested in women’s history, travel, and accessing new dimensions of the female experience through souvenir culture.