Early Modern Tradeswomen
“In England, the Statute of Artificers of 1562-63, which set the framework for the parish apprenticeship system and was not gender-specific, referred to apprentices as “persons” and to “boys and girls”.
Lacy’s secret
“A thought came into my head to dress myself in men’s apparel and set off by myself.” Mary Lacy, 1759
The first documented female carpenter in France
“Anyone who has ever drilled out a mortise with a “tee-handled” auger will appreciate just how strong Mademoiselle Caron must have been.
Aussie women get the job done
“Having shown a keen interest in electricity by ‘fooling around with the wiring in their home’, Florence studied electrical engineering at Sydney Technical College, from which she graduated in 1923 with a diploma—probably the first woman in Australia to have received such a qualification.
Ever seen a picture of THIS Rosie the Riveter?
“Over a thousand women of colour helped build World War II ships for the Kaiser Company in the USA, but home-front war effort propaganda rarely depicted Black women” – Library of Congress
Guess who built the Waterloo bridge?
500 men started the job on this iconic structure but only 50 were still available by 1941 when they were called to war…
