Lydia Becker (1827 - 1890) was one of Manchester’s first but also lesser known Suffragettes. She was also a keen natural scientist and examples of her herbarium sheets are held in Manchester Museum. She was frustrated at the educational limitations put on women at the time and campaigned for gender equality in education.
My work adopts the same title as one of Becker’s papers: On the Study of Science by Women. On the left of the specimen box is a hand stitched visual poem combining words from Becker’s paper along with the words of Professor Nancy Rothwell, an eminent scientist and the first woman Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester.
On the right of the specimen box in a silver necklace incorporating antique microscope lenses containing images of white and purple flowers representing the Suffragette movement.
References:
Becker, Lydia E. (1869) On The Study of Science by Women. The Contemporary Review, 1886-190The Royal Institution (1998) Times of Our Lives, Nancy Rothwell - Christmas Lectures. (Accessed on: 3rd May 2026)
My work adopts the same title as one of Becker’s papers: On the Study of Science by Women. On the left of the specimen box is a hand stitched visual poem combining words from Becker’s paper along with the words of Professor Nancy Rothwell, an eminent scientist and the first woman Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester.
On the right of the specimen box in a silver necklace incorporating antique microscope lenses containing images of white and purple flowers representing the Suffragette movement.
References:
Becker, Lydia E. (1869) On The Study of Science by Women. The Contemporary Review, 1886-190The Royal Institution (1998) Times of Our Lives, Nancy Rothwell - Christmas Lectures. (Accessed on: 3rd May 2026)
