Wednesday 24 August 2011

Rare book - Etheldred Benett

Thought by many to be the first woman geologist, Etheldred Benett (1776-1845) was a keen collector of fossils, assembling in the years 1810-13, an extensive collection from a large range of sites within Wiltshire. Her publication 'Catalogue of the Organic Remains of the County of Wiltshire' with drawings by E.D. Smith, illustrates the vast number and extreme variety of fossils she discovered. The book is housed at The Geological Society in London.
If the life of Etheldred Benett interests you, then the book 'The Role of Women in the History of Geology' by Burek, C.V. and Higgs, B (eds) is recommended. It is Geological Society Special Publication 281 (2007).

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