Writing women back into history (again)
How one book shifted perceptions about women and innovation
September 29, 2022
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Comments:
Thanks Christine, this is an excellent article on a much-needed subject: how women contributed significantly to scientific and industrial progress but were carefully hidden, or suppressed, or ignored. I suspect one would find similar suppression in most fields of endeavor. I think of Fanny Mendelssohn who composed fine art song and piano pieces, that were published in the name of her brother Felix.
Peter_G_Moll - 2023 01 18
Re the comment below: this is what Ada Lovelace said in the ‘don’t mess with my maths’ letter to Babbage (which I’ve now included in the main article):
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“I wish you were as accurate, and as much to be relied on, as I am myself. You might often save me much trouble, if you were; whereas you in reality add to my trouble not infrequently; and there is at any rate always the anxiety of doubting if you will not get me into a scrape, even when you don’t.
“By the way, I hope you do not take upon yourself to alter any of my corrections. I must beg you not. They all have some very sufficient reason. And you have made a pretty mess and confusion in one or two places (which I will show you sometimes), where you have ventured in my M.S.’s to insert or alter a phrase or word; and have utterly muddled the sense.”
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Christine Evans-Pughe - 2022 09 30
Many thanks Ursula, that’s such a great letter to Babbage. I’m going to add it into the article! She’s so clear and to the point!
Christine Evans-Pughe - 2022 09 30
Here’s Ada Lovelace pleading with Babbage not to mess with her maths - https://twitter.com/ninabegus/status/1574434557973012480?s=20&t=LgsddDjwQhZSlJA8GN5DMw
ursula - 2022 09 30
Many thanks Peter for your comment. Yes, the world of music was particularly rife for hiding away women’s contributions. It’s all the richer now that we’re re-discovering them.
Christine Evans-Pughe - 2023 01 27