Past Exhibits: > Drawn by a Lady
Drawn by a Lady
March 10 through July 5, 2023
Early Women Illustrators
In the nineteenth century, science pursue without the benefits of class and gender privilege. Women didn’t have access to scientific learning and were encouraged to pursue “suitable accomplishments.” One of the few places where modern science and Victorian sensibility could combine was in botany. We know very little about the lives of many of these female illustrators, even when their drawings are contained in works that have had lasting fame and impact. Almost none could expect to have any credit or recognition beyond a simple name engraved below their illustrations. Many floral and botanical books by women were either published anonymously, known by her husband’s name, or credited simply....“By a Lady.” The women featured in this exhibit are the exceptions.
