Mama Asia

Women’s history is being made every day. 
Here is another astonishing story from modern Afghanistan about Latifa Nabizada, a woman battling enormous odds to achieve her goals. It is the first in a new series by ABC journalist Sally Sara about inspirational women in Asia. 
Sara is also the author of Gogo Mama, a book about remarkable women from Africa.

The Lady with a camera

There is a very interesting auction coming at Bonhams. Rare previously unknown photographs taken by Lady Clementina Hawarden in the late 1850s t 1860s. Very early for photography in general let alone for a woman to be involved. Artists, researchers, production designers and writers with an interest in the Victorian era all have much to be thankful for in Lady Clementina's legacy of images of her children that show homes and fashions of the day. The images going to auction can be seen at Daily Telegraph.
Lady Clementina died quite young from pneumonia and it has been suggested that her constant contact with the chemicals needed for photography may have weakened her immune system. Being mother to ten children as well probably didn't help.
The largest collection of her photographs are at the Victoria & Albert Museum and include general outdoor scenes as well as stylized family studies. The stables at Dundrum House appear to have been a favourite setting.

Stable yard

Interior Stables

Below is a portrait of Henry Brougham Loch and one of Clementina's daughters, Isabella. He went on to a varied life as an eminent colonial administrator, serving as Governor of Victoria and High Commissioner for South Africa. The entry for this photograph in the V&A collection reads:

"Hawarden used the balcony on the south side of her house in Princes Gardens in London as an open-air studio, floating in space. She posed her daughter Isabella Grace beside her mother’s cousin, Henry Brougham Loch. This double portrait must date from the summer of 1861, because the houses on the south side of the square are still being built. Virginia Dodier has written that Loch was a celebrity in 1861, because he ‘survived imprisonment by the Chinese during the Second Opium War’."

Not sure what this next study is about - prayer? - but typical of many in the recognisable style of Lady Clementina Hawarden. 

(All images from the Victoria & Albert Museum website)

The most dangerous job on earth

This blog is usually about women from the past who have done amazing things and deserve to be more widely recognised but an excellent feature article written by Matt Warren in the latest edition of UK magazine “The Lady”, reinforces the fact that women’s history is being written around the world every day and these extraordinary Afghani policewomen are adding to the current chapter.  Click here to read the article.  

But being women does not make them immune to living under the extreme pressures of their jobs, plus the coercion, corruption and conflicts of loyalty that have been reflected in the growing “green on blue” assassinations by rogue officers, with one of the most recent being perpetrated by one of these policewomen. This UK Daily Telegraph article suggests that the woman was an Iranian who suffered a psychological breakdown and was not related to her membership of an opposition group.  In a country like Afghanistan no-one can ever be sure of the truth, but the dedication and bravery of the majority of these women should not be underestimated.

Photo: AFP

The Only Woman in the Room

Sometimes you come across a news story that is important to women’s history and you ask yourself, “Why didn’t I know this before?”

Such is the case with this report from the New York Times about Beate Gordon, the “unsung heroine of Japanese women’s rights” who has only just died.

It makes me wonder how many other women there are - some of them still living - who have been involved in ground-breaking advancement in the rights of women in all corners of the world and who have either been forgotten, deliberately ignored or sidelined.

I am sorry, Beate, that I knew nothing of your admirable life and achievements until now, although I am glad others are keeping your legacy going.

Beate wrote her biography in 1999. It seems to be out of print but hopefully it will now be reissued.

Poster from the 2004 Japanese film

More here:

http://thegiftfrombeate.wordpress.com/

http://asiasociety.org/blog/asia/remembering-iconic-beate-sirota-gordon-1923-2012#1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beate_Sirota_Gordon

Bloomin' Kewriosities

In December, 1868, a very ordinary woman took her first steps into history when she rescued a seedling from what was kitchen scraps or compost and nurtured it into a tree. She was Maria Ann Smith, an immigrant to Australia and mother of nine. The seedling went on to become a new variety of apple called the ‘Granny Smith’ and ultimately world-famous as it was especially suited to baking. Granny Smith herself can be read about here and here.

Sadly, she never knew about the great commercial success of her discovery, although her granddaughter who lived to be 101 carried on the tradition of apples and on her final birthday in 2011, one of Australia’s top chefs baked (naturally!) an apple pie in celebration.

This led me to wonder about other women who have left legacies in the way of commercial horticulture, especially having new varieties of fruits named after them, but they are not that easy to find.

Catherine Horwood has written a book on the history of women in gardening, how difficult and controversial just having them involved in horticulture could be, as can be seen by this observation in the Guardian:

" ... But after training, the problem was still where to find work – and what to wear. The first female gardeners taken on at Kew in 1896 (dubbed the “Kewriosities” by the London press) were attired in bloomers. When passing omnibuses were crowded with rubbernecking sightseers and songs were published with such refrains as “Who wants to see blooms now you've bloomers at Kew?”, the girls were quickly told to wear knickerbockers (not trousers) instead. ..."

Here is an extract from Woodward’s Record of Horticulture by A.S. Fuller, published in 1866 which considers whether it is a suitable occupation for women. For all its amusing, quaint and patronising content, it was also a valid attempt to improve the lot of women, to get them out into the open air and away from unhealthy, poorly paid and soul-destroying indoor occupations like sewing. Aside from curious notions such as agriculture being “repugnant” to most women and“Fashion” being often responsible for degradation, there is also the positive suggestion that more women in horticulture would be a good thing for the profession, that it would make men improve their behaviour as well.

WOMEN IN HORTICULTURE.

Is Horticulture a suitable occupation for women? Is there anything degrading in the cultivation of fruits and flowers? We are told in sacred history that the first gardener had a woman given him for a helpmate and partner; then why should we not only admit, but encourage women to assist in producing those blessings that our Creator in his beneficence has given to mankind? We have some excuse for not urging women to engage in general agriculture, for besides needing strength in that position, she would come in contact with many things repugnant to the finer feelings of her nature. But in Horticulture she would seldom meet with anything distasteful. True, we would not ask or expect her to do the coarse drudgery of the business, leaving that for such men as seem to have been created to be hewers of wood and drawers of water. But what could be more agreeable to refined tastes than to cultivate and handle our ordinary fruits, especially the smaller kinds? Is it less noble than sitting idle, or waiting upon customers in some close, half stifling shop in a city, or plying the needle for sixteen hours a day, for scarcely enough to keep soul and body as partners for a few years, with no time for relaxation from toil or to enjoy the exhilarating pleasure of breathing the free air of the country?

Fashion, the tyrant, and the near relative of Want, has excluded woman from many channels of usefulness, and often compelled her to walk the downward road to degradation. Shall these influences continue to exist when her labor and society are needed in many positions of life where at present she is seldom admitted? Would not the very presence of women in horticultural society be a benefit to the profession? for out of respect for the ladies some of us would be more gentlemanly in our deportment, and more civil in all of our dealings with each other. We think that it would have this desirable effect, at least it is well worthy of a trial.

This is no insignificant subject, nor one that should be passed over with indifference. We do not wish to harp upon the already much abused subject of women's rights or wrongs, but we respectfully submit these remarks in behalf of the general welfare and progress of Horticulture. If our mothers and sisters are so fortunate as to have been born in or raised to a position of comparative freedom from manual labor, we should not forget those who are not so well situated, but endeavor to find or make employments that while they furnish the means of subsistence will be the less arduous because of their congeniality.

Our government has liberally endowed the prospective agricultural colleges of our country for the education of men; would it not have been well to give a portion to the endowment of horticultural departments for the education of both sexes? Must the mothers of great men, yes, of nations, be circumscribed in their usefulness, and be compelled to walk in channels unsuitable to their proper development because of fashion or false education of both their own and the ruling sex? Thousands of women, old and young, are now crowded into our cities who would gladly seek employment in the fruitful fields of the country if they could be assured that the finger of scorn would not be pointed at them.

We all honor a Mrs. Loudon who did not think it beneath her dignity to prosecute the work her much lamented husband had begun. There are a few such noble examples in Horticulture, and we have to regret that the record contains so small a number. At the time Mr. Loudon published his “Encyclopedia of Gardening”, there had been about four hundred authors of works on gardening in England;out of this number only five were women. We do not doubt they had given assistance in many instances in which they have received no credit.

We are glad to record the fact, that within the past year one lady has announced herself a member of the horticultural profession. We refer to Miss J. L. Waring, of Amenia, Dutchess County, N. Y.

Miss Waring has built four large propagating houses, which cost nearly $10,000, besides purchasing ample grounds for carrying on an extensive business. The propagation of grapes has been the main business the past season, and we believe her success has been excellent. From a very slight personal acquaintance with this lady, we do not hesitate, in behalf of horticulturists in general, to welcome her among us, believing that she will be an honor to the profession and of benefit to the country at large.

As to the two women mentioned in this article, Miss Waring is difficult to find, but Mrs. Loudon became famous for her gardening books and is also interesting as being the author (as Jane Webb) of early science fiction, in particular her book The Mummy, written in 1827.

More about the early UK horticultural college for women here.
Plus this document on other notable early women in horticulture.
Library of Congress reading list.

Links to extraordinary women

Research into a new writing project has kept me from regular updates of late but, in the meantime, here is a miscellany of links to sites that are worth browsing. Through them you will find famous and little-known women who have been, or still are, an inspiration in their own countries and around the world.

From Myhero

http://myhero.com/women_heroes/

There are numerous American websites devoted to women’s history or achievements but here are some for countries that hold special interest for me, and there are bound to be many more.

Australia

http://womenshistory.net.au/

Canada

http://famouscanadianwomen.com/index.htm

South Africa

http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/womens-struggle-1900-1994

International Women's Day links

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

And some quotes to contemplate

http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/wisdom.html

To celebrate great warrior women of history, this stirring imagery can't be beaten and has always been a great favourite of mine.

It may be fanciful, but Thomas Thornycroft's statue of Queen Boadicea/Boudicca and her daughters on Westminster Bridge still has undeniable power. (This photo is one of many to be found on Flickr pages.)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stefanhk/5502596613/sizes/m/in/photostream/

The marrying kind ... Hannah Mary Anson

Following my earlier blog on the lady of a thousand names, if not faces, Hannah Mary Anson, more has come to light on this remarkable woman.

A friend who is a researcher of Tasmanian family history tells me that the convict indents give us yet another surname that could be "Jerusalem" and a home of Paris, instead of Madras! In the indents, Hannah gave the following information about herself and her family. As no father is mentioned, he was probably deceased.

"Husband Henry Wyatt Ville deserted me this 8 years. Mother Grace Emma Jerusalum in Paris. Brothers Henry, David, Samuel [indecipherable] rest abroad."

I have also found a second convict application for permission to marry dated 16 October 1855, this time to one Jean Lanzin, a free man, with the proviso "will be recommended if clergyman is satisfied". Clearly, the earlier request to marry Edward Gregory didn't come to fruition due to Hannah's misbehaviour and one has to wonder if the clergyman had any idea about her amazing marriage track record back in England. But maybe he was suspicious, as there doesn't seem to be any Tasmanian marriage record in the names of Lanzin and Anson.

Curiously, the only mention of anyone called Jean Lanzin that I can find through the usual research sources is a person of that name who died in Belleville in France. And Belleville just happened to be another one of Hannah's aliases. Did they know each other previously? There is a lot more to this story yet to be uncovered.

Also, in December, 1865, at Port Sorrel, Tasmania, a John Shaw married a Mary Ann or Ann Mary Anson. Until proved otherwise, there is every possibility that this, too, could be our lady.

Research ongoing ...