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.

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.

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.

 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."

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).

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.

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