The Scientific Vision of Women

Margaret Bryan was an educator, scientist, wife, mother, author and illustrator. Although she published at least three texts in astronomy and physics, including A Compendious System of Astronomy (1797), Lectures in Natural Philosophy (1806) and An Astronomical and Geographical Class Book for Schools (1816), very little is known about her scientific training. Margaret was born in West Ham, Essex, the daughter of a textile merchant and her maternal grandfather was an apothecary. After her mother died in 1764, Margaret was raised by relatives in Chigwell, and eventually married William Bryan in London in 1783. William died in 1788, and with two children to raise Margaret moved to Margate and began running a school for young ladies. Over her lifetime Margaret managed several schools for girls and although her books might have originally been directed towards students, they became popular with the general public as well. 

There are 46 illustrations in the Lectures in Natural Philosophy that range from simplistic geometry to complex astronomy. The illustration shown above left demonstrates three different experiments described in the text, all relating to sound, vibrations, and air. Unique for its time, the image includes a woman as one of the participants. Plate XXXI demonstrate complex theories with simple drawings such as the rotation of Venus and the earth, and how we see different versions of the moon. Plate II illustrates gravity using simple and practical concepts such as a ladder as a lever.

Label by Meg Brown