Table 1 Women naturalists who participated in scientific expeditions from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century, recording or illustrating useful plants
Naturalist | Nationality | Contributions | References |
|---|---|---|---|
Adela Breton (1849–1923) | England | Archeologist, explorer and artist She registered an archeological site in Mexico, including observations on landscape and vegetation. She painted many watercolors of plants native to Central America, mainly Mexico, and also authored several papers, discussing her own insights into Pre-Columbian cultures through their artifacts. Her work is recognized as being of great importance for Mesoamerican studies | [50] |
Adèle Toussaint-Samson (1826–1911) | France | Author and poet She came to Brazil in 1849 and published “Une parisienne au Brésil”, with observations on habits and landscapes | [51] |
Albertine Adrienne Necker (1766–1841) | Switzerland | Botanist In collaboration with her husband, professor and botanist Jacques Necker, she published an essay on botanical studies of wild plants, focusing on flowering and fructification | [52] |
Anna Blackburne (1726–1793) | England | Botanist and ornithologist She did not participate in scientific expeditions but was a collector of natural history. She corresponded with Linnaeus and other naturalists. She sent Linnaeus specimens of birds and insects that were not described in his Systema Naturae | |
Anna Jabonowska (1728–1800) | Poland | Collector of natural history She curated a very important European cabinet of natural curiosities which was considered to be one of the most important natural history collections in Europe in the eighteenth century. Several naturalists worked on Jabonowska’s collection and on Albertus Seba’s collection which was part of her cabinet | [55] |
Baroness E. de Langsdorff (1812–1889) | France | Traveler and author She came to Brazil in 1842 with the aim of dealing with the marriage of Prince of Joinville and Princess Francisca, D. Pedro I’s sister. Langsdorff published her observations on landscapes in a journal | [56] |
Carmen Oliver de Gelabert (not found) | Spain | Traveler and author She came to Brazil in 1870 and published the book “Viaje poético a Petrópolis”, reporting her visit and impressions about the society and landscapes of the Imperial City Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro State | |
Charlotte Canning (1817–1861) | England | Illustrator and botanist From 1858 to 1861, she traveled to India on several occasions alongside her husband. She collected several botanical specimens and produced more than 300 plant watercolors | |
Dorothea Maria Graff (1678–1743) | Germany | Naturalist and illustrator She traveled to Surinam as an assistant to her mother, Maria Sibylla Merian. She became professor of Arts in the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts and acted as a counselor of arts acquisition for Czar Peter. Also, she became an administrator of Czar Peter’s natural history collection | |
Elizabeth Cabot Cary Agassiz (1822–1907) | United States of America | Naturalist and explorer She participated in a scientific expedition alongside her husband, Louis Agassiz, from 1865 to 1866; she published her observations about Brazil. She was the author and illustrator of several natural history texts in co-authorship with her husband and godson, including “A First Lesson in Natural History” (1859), “Seaside Studies in Natural History” (1865), Geological Sketches (1867), A Journey in Brazil (1868), Louis Agassiz: His Life and Correspondence (1885). Agassiz organized and participated in the Thayer expedition to Brazil and the Hassler Strait of Magellan expedition, in southern South America, with her husband | |
Geneviève de Nanguis-Regnault (eighteenth century) | France | Botanist She was married to the botanist Nicolas François Regnault. She was co-author of La botanique mise à la portée de tout le monde, with botanical illustrations containing botanical, historical and medicinal studies | [71] |
Ida Pfeiffer (1795–1858) | Austria | Naturalist, traveler and author She traveled around the world for 15 years, coming to Brazil in 1846. She carried a letter of recommendation from Humboldt and other naturalists, who helped with her expeditions. She published many books that were translated into several languages. She became an honorary member of the Society of Geography of Paris and Berlin and also of the Society of Zoology of Berlin and Amsterdam | |
Isabel Lady Burton (1831–1896) | England | Traveler and author She traveled to several parts of the world, coming to Brazil in 1865. She published her observations on landscapes and plants | |
Jeanne Barret (1740–1897) | France | Naturalist, botanist and explorer She traveled disguised as a man, being the first woman ever to travel around the world in a scientific expedition; she acted as a botanist assistant to Philibert Commerson | |
Johana Graff (not found) | Germany | Botany illustrator The daughter of Maria Sibylla Merian, she collaborated with the illustrations and publications of her mother and published her own book about Surinam insects | |
Madame Roland (1754–1793) | France | Naturalist and apothecary | [52] |
Madeleine Françoise Basseporte (1701–1780) | France | Naturalist and painter A botany illustrator with scientific precision, she was invited to contribute to the watercolor collection of the Museum of Natural History of France | |
Maria Graham (1785–1842) | England | Naturalist and author Graham traveled to India, Italy and some South American countries such as Chile and Brazil. Her first travel book contained stories about Italy and South America. She was in Brazil between 1821 and 1825, publishing her observations on everyday life and natural resources. She illustrated more than 250 specimens of Brazilian flora and collected plants that were included in the Flora Brasiliensis of von Martius | |
Marianne North (1830–1890) | England | Naturalist and illustrator She participated in several scientific expeditions aimed at describing plants in their natural environment, illustrating 727 plant genera; she came to Brazil between 1872 and 1873. Some plants were totally unknown and were named after her, such as Northia seychellana, Nepenthes northiana and Crinum northianum; the last one was described based on her drawings. North’s work aroused the interest of several scientists and naturalists, including Charles Darwin | |
Marie Barbe van Langendonck (1798–not found) | Belgium | Traveler and author She came to Brazil in 1860 and published her travel reports about native vegetation. Her work reported on deforestation and corn and bean plantations | |
Marie Le Masson Le Golft (1749–1826) | France | Naturalist focusing on marine biology She published many books including Balance de la nature (1784), with notes on hundreds of animals, plants and minerals; Coup d'Oeil Sur l'État Ancien et Présent du Havre (1778), with notes on the fauna and flora of a French harbor. She was member of many Science Academies | |
Marie Robinson Wright (1866–1914) | United States of America | Travel writer She traveled to South America, coming to Brazil in 1889, and published many books reporting observations on landscapes and society. She was the first woman to publish a paper about Iguazu Waterfalls in The National Geographic magazine | [91] |
Marie-Armande-Jeanne Gacon-Dufour (1753–1835) | France | Naturalist and agronomist She fought for women's rights to education | [52] |
Ottile Coudreau (1870–1910) | France | Cartographer, illustrator and topographer She came to Brazil alongside her husband, Henri Coudreau for research in the Amazon region; after her husband’s death, she took charge of the expedition and published the results on her own | |
Rose de Saulces Freycinet (1794–not found) | France | Naturalist and travel writer She participated in scientific expeditions and came to Brazil between 1897 and 1820. Her letters with travel observations were published in a diary | |
Sarah Bowdich (1791–1853) | England | Botanist, illustrator and taxidermist She followed her husband, the naturalist Thomas Edward Bowdich, in expeditions to Serra Leoa and Gambia; published and illustrated many books | [99] |
Teresa von Bayern, Princess of Bayern (1850–1925) | Germany | Naturalist She carried out many scientific expeditions to different continents. She collaborated by collecting specimens for Flora Brasiliensis and published the book Meine Reise in den brasilianischen Tropen about her Brazilian expedition; she was a member and correspondent of many European scientific institutions. First woman to receive the title Doctor Philosophiae Honoris Causa | [100] |