Something to alleviate post-Xmas boredom

Just a quick post to let you know, the full series of The 1900 House is available to watch on the 4OD channel on YouTube. If you haven't seen it, it's well worth a look. It's a kind of social experiment, which involves a modern family living as people did in 1900, hence the title. Fascinating to watch, but a reminder of how much easier life is with labour saving devices and modern medicine.

First Post

I had a theme in mind for this first post, but due to a series of irritating technical problems, setting up the blog took rather longer than I expected. So, I decided to focus on women for whom technology was also an interest, and highlight some interesting 19th century scientists.

Caroline Herschel, German astronomer and discoverer of comets

Caroline Herschel, an eminent astronomer at a time when it was a male preserve, she not only discovered a comet (which is named after her), in 1835 she also became the first woman to gain admittance to the Royal Astronomical Society.

Portrait of Dr Elizabeth Garret Anderson, first British woman to qualify as a doctor

Dr Elizabeth Garret Anderson became the first British woman to qualify as a medical doctor despite much opposition from the exclusively male medical establishment, who even went as far as changing entry rules to prevent other women training for apothecaries certificates. When Elizabeth later received her medical degree from the university of Paris, the British Medical Register refused to recognise it.

Ada Byron aka Ada Lovelace, the world's first computer prgrammer

Ada Byron, Countess of Lovelace was encouraged to pursue the sciences by her mother who did not wish her to emulate her father, the notorious Lord Byron. As an adult, Ada became a close friend of computer pioneer Charles Babbage, and is credited with writing the first computer programme and also foreseeing the advent of computer composed music.