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Re: Interesting Women

deja2004 — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 04:01:14 GMT

Sappho of Lesbos (wrote about 610-580 B.C.E.) poet

Sappho, a poet of ancient Greece, is known through her work: ten books of verse published by the third and second centuries B.C.E. By the Middle Ages, all copies were lost. Today what we know of the poetry of Sappho is only through quotations in the writings of others. Only one poem from Sappho survives in complete form, and the longest fragment of Sappho poetry is only 16 lines long. The poems of Sappho are more personal and emotional than political or civic or religious, especially compared to her contemporary, the poet Alcaeus. Sappho lived in Mytilene on the island of Lesbos, where women often congregated and, among other social activities, shared poetry they'd written. Sappho's poems usually focus on the relationships among women. This focus has given rise to speculation that Sappho's interest in women was what today would be called homosexual or lesbian. (The word "lesbian" comes from the island of Lesbos and the communities of women there.) This may be an accurate description of Sappho's feelings towards women, but it may also be accurate that it was more acceptable in the past -- pre-Freud -- for women to express strong passions towards one another, whether the attractions were sexual or not.

Re: Interesting Women

evergreen — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:06:36 GMT

For any of us who have visited & are fascinated by the land of the Pharoahs:

Hatshepsut - Pharaoh of Egypt:

Hatshepsut was the daughter of Thutmose I and his royal wife, Ahmose. Hatshepsut married her half-brother Thutmose II. As his chief queen, Hatshepsut bore him one daughter, Neferure, one of three known offspring of Thutmose II. Thutmose III, son of one of Thutmose II's minor wives, became the Pharaoh on the death of Thutmose II. Thutmose III was very young (estimated between 2 and 10 years old), and Hatshepsut became regent for her stepson and nephew.

Hatshepsut gradually assumed the titles, powers and even the ceremonial clothing and beard of a male Pharaoh, claiming legitimacy through a divine birth, even calling herself a "female Horus." She was formally crowned as king in about year 7 of her co-reign with Thutmose III.

Senenmut, an architect, became a key advisor and powerful official under the reign of Hatshepsut. The relationship between Hatshepsut and Senenmut is debated; he was given unusual honors for a palace official.

The mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri records a trading expedition to Punt, a legendary land thought by some to be Eritrea and argued by others to be Uganda, Syria, or other lands.

Thutmose III eventually became sole Pharaoh, presumably on the death of Hatshepsut. He was general of the army before Hatshepsut's disappearance. Thutmose III is probably responsible for the destruction of many of Hatshepsut's statues and images, at least 10 and probably 20 years after she died.

Re: Interesting Women

brewmax — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:18:48 GMT

You have to just love women, don't you?

ARABELLA MANSFIELD

Arabella Mansfield sought equal opportunities for women in all aspects of U.S. society. She was an activist in the nineteenth century women's rights movement that spanned a range of issues from voting rights for women to the right of practicing law. As a result she became the first female lawyer in the United States. She passed the Iowa bar exam in 1869 and opened the way for other women to practice law. Within the year the Iowa legislature amended its statute to allow women and minorities to practice law in the state.

Although Mansfield never practiced law herself, she maintained her interest in legal proceedings and joined the National League of Women Lawyers in 1893, leading the way for others into careers in the law profession. A lifelong educator, Mansfield also campaigned for equal educational opportunities for women. She was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 1980.

"The theory of this Government from the beginning has been perfect equality to all the people."

Arguments of the Woman-Suffrage Delegates to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary on January 24, 1880

Re: Interesting Women

brewmax — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:47:15 GMT

Being of part American Indian heritage, I like the story of this American woman:

PRINCESS RED WING

She was born Mary Congdon, but was known throughout South County and even abroad as Princess Red Wing, the Narragansett Indian who spoke to school children and dignitaries alike about the honor of being a Native American.

Her gift of storytelling and her jangling silver bracelets and beaded headband mesmerized her audience. Among the Narragansetts, she was a leader, a historian and the woman who bestowed Indian names on generations of Narragansett children.

Strangers would inevitably ask: How did you get your name? Her mother named her after the red wing blackbird "to fling her mission far with grace, for ears that harken for the uplift of my race," she'd reply.

Everett Weeden of Charlestown recalls a woman who wasn't technically a princess but rose to legendary status in the tribe and in the non-Indian world.

"She spoke in these poetic verses at times because she was part of that generation when everything was poetry and pageantry," said Weeden, who was given the Indian name Tall Oak by Red Wing when he was 16.

Since her death at age 92 in 1987, a few Narragansetts have been successful in carrying on the storytelling traditions, but "none could fill Red Wing's shoes," Weeden said. "She was an exceptionally gifted person and a natural born speaker . . . Her message was always to generate a more positive image of Indian people in this society."

Re: Interesting Women

evergreen — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:02:19 GMT

Now you know, if not British (My homeland) I have to post Canadian on women.

This is interesting. Plus, her name is poetic!

Florence Lawrence Born January 1 1890. Died 1938. This petite Canadian born actress is universally acknowledged as the world’s first movie star. At age 4 she was performing as “Baby Flo, the Wonder Whistler” on vaudeville. In the pioneer days of filmmaking, credits with the names of actors were not important. She became known simply as the "Biograph Girl". In 1915 she tried to help someone in a studio fire and was badly burned. She never achieved her former active career. At the time of her death she had appeared in 250 films! For more information check out: http://www.biographcompany.com. or read Florence Lawrence, the Biograph Girl : America's First Movie Star by Kelly R Brown (McFarland, 1999).

Re: Interesting Women

artgirl — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:46:27 GMT

Oh!!! I LOVE this thread! Keep it coming!

Re: Interesting Women

brewmax — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:37:27 GMT

Those cross-dressing Brit's. . . . this one was met with a rather tragic response after reporting that she was raped . . . thank goodness times have changed!

Dorothy Lawrence (4 October 1896 – 1964) was an English reporter who secretly posed as a man to become a soldier during the First World War.

The Army was embarrassed that a woman had breached security and was fearful of more women taking on male roles during the war if her story got out. She was then taken to the Convent de Bon Pasteur where she swore not to write about her experiences and signed an affidavit to that effect. She was then sent back to London.

Back in London she was unable to write of her experiences, which had been her original intent. She later said, "in making that promise I sacrificed the chance of earning by newspaper articles written on this escapade, as a girl compelled to earn her livelihood". After the war ended she wrote of her experiences, but it was censored by the War Office and not fully published until many years later when discovered by a historian in the archives. Her story became part of an exhibition at the Imperial War Museum on women at war.

In 1919, she moved to Canonbury, Islington, but after claiming she had been raped by her church guardian, she was institutionalized as insane in 1925.

Interesting Women

evergreen — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:43:43 GMT

There used to be a group on the old Forum similar to this & it was quite popular. Thought I'd start it again.

Post any information of interest re women in the public eye or just because they are interesting women.

Here's a starter. This was reported in the British "Telegraph" newspaper this week:

Revealed: Army surgeon actually a woman

By Nic Fleming, Science Correspondent

Last Updated: 6:01pm GMT 05/03/2008

The mystery of the pioneering British Army surgeon who successfully fooled Victorian society into thinking she was a man throughout her extraordinary life has finally been solved.

Historians have been kept guessing over claims Dr James Barry, Inspector General of Military Hospitals, was in fact a woman for more than 140 years.

Now previously unknown letters, highlighted in this week's New Scientist, have proved the diminutive physician who fought for better conditions for troops, shot a man in a duel and reached the top of "his" profession began life as the daughter of a grocer from Cork.

The scandal that shook the Victorian military establishment began when Dr Barry fell victim to the dysentery epidemic that swept London in the summer of 1865.

Only after Dr Barry's remains lay in Kensal Green Cemetery did Sophia Bishop, a maid at his lodgings who prepared the body for burial, make the startling claim he was in fact a she.

If Bishop was telling the truth, a woman had posed as a man to become the first female medical graduate in Britain, fooled the army into employing her and then kept her sex secret for half a century.

Appalled by the idea, army officials locked away Dr Barry's service records for almost a hundred years and hoped the story would go away.

With only the maid's word to go on and no post mortem, the story caused endless speculation, with some contemporaries claiming to have known all along, and others arguing Dr Barry was a hermaphrodite.

In the 1950s historian Isobel Rae gained access to army records and concluded Dr Barry was a niece of James Barry, the celebrated Irish artist and professor of painting at London's Royal Academy.

However, with no proof the debate has refused to go away. South African urologist Dr Michael du Preez first heard the story as a boy in Cape Town, where Dr Barry had introduced sweeping health reforms while he was as assistant surgeon to the garrison there.

He had fought for better food, sanitation and proper medical care for prisoners and lepers, as well as soldiers and their families, as well as becoming the first British surgeon to perform a successful Caesarean section in 1826.

He also earned notoriety for his outspoken views which provoked a duel with pistols, and for his intimate relationship with the Governor, Lord Charles Somerset, which resulted in a libel action after the pair were accused of homosexuality.

When Dr du Preez retired in 2001, he set about gathering evidence to solve the mystery of Dr Barry once and for all. Hidden in a large collection of papers relating to James Barry he discovered documents that leave no doubt that Dr Barry began life in Ireland as Margaret Ann Bulkley, daughter of Jeremiah and Mary-Ann, sister of the famous Irish artist.

They reveal a conspiracy between Margaret's mother and some of her uncle's influential, liberal-minded friends to get her through medical school.

Key evidence came from around two dozen letters, some written by Margaret as a teenager and others by Barry the student doctor.

Alison Reboul, a document analysis expert with the Forensic Science Service, has concluded they were written by the same person. Another newly-discovered letter was written by Barry to the family solicitor Daniel Reardon on "his" arrival in Edinburgh to study medicine in 1809.

Although the letter was signed 'James Barry', Reardon had written on the outside 'Miss Bulkley, 14th December’. "Reardon was a meticulous man," said du Preez.

"On the outside of all the letters he received he wrote the date and the name of the sender. You can't get much more conclusive than that."