In our first exhibition for 2024 Abingdon Museum will be “Celebrating Abingdon Women in the Arts and Sciences”. It will highlight the lives of remarkable women, some who lived in Abingdon and made major contributions to the cultural life of the town, some who came from Abingdon and went out into the world to accomplish great things. In the visual arts they are Pat Russell and Janet Boulton, who set up their own paper-making studio, and Charlotte Hardcastle, whose delicate and highly accurate botanical drawings are preserved in a New Zealand museum. Representing the written word they are Dorothy Richardson, who wrote some of the first modernist novels, and historian Agnes Baker, who bridged literature and history by bringing local history to life through plays and pageants. Also from the field of history are Gabrielle Lambrick, who researched the history of Abingdon Abbey in particular, and was an important member of two societies dedicated to local history; Mieneke Cox, who told the story of Abingdon through the museum displays and a series of books; and Marion Wenzel who was the curator of the Abbey Buildings and researched one of Abingdon’s most intriguing archaeological finds, the Islamic Glass. Representing science is Mary Buckland, née Morland, who made important contributions to palaeontology, particularly with her detailed drawings of fossils, including those of Megalosaurus, the first scientifically described dinosaur.

In telling the stories of these women we want to highlight the contributions women have made in all fields of endeavour, but also emphasise their connection with Abingdon – something our town can be proud of.

Location: Sessions Gallery (First Floor)

Free Admission