I am a PhD candidate interested in conceptions of nature and their impact on the practice of natural philosophy in early modern England. My research explores the relationship between gender and the application of chymical (or alchemical) knowledge and techniques by both women and men during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
My master's thesis focused specifically on female chymistry during the reign of Elizabeth I. This blog post provides a bit of background: http://sciblogs.co.nz/seeing-data/2010/11/10/sienna-latham-on-alchemy-women-and-data-visualisation/
I am a member of the Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry and the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism. Supervisors: Glyn Parry
Brief Ignite presentation for a non-specialist audience at the 2011 Kiwi Foo Camp 'un-conference'... more Brief Ignite presentation for a non-specialist audience at the 2011 Kiwi Foo Camp 'un-conference' (http://baacamp.org). The five-minute Ignite format requires 20 slides, each displayed for just 15 seconds. Quite a whirlwind but an excellent exercise in brevity!
Historians have traditionally downplayed Elizabeth I's interest in and patronage of chymistry, bu... more Historians have traditionally downplayed Elizabeth I's interest in and patronage of chymistry, but it is no coincidence that the queen who so carefully managed her iconography drew comparisons to 'Lady Alchymia'. We first find significant evidence of female chymical practitioners in England during her reign. This paper examines precedents for feminine involvement in alchemical writings, imagery and legends, arguing that the dominance of male practitioners was rooted in cultural norms rather than a function of the art itself. Representation of concepts like 'Lady Alchymia', 'Sapientia' and 'Dame Nature' as female — in contrast to the male natural philosophers who wished to uncover their secrets — lent themselves to chymistry's portrayal and function as a creative act suitable only for men. Elizabeth I's influence allowed English women, particularly Protestant gentlewomen, to encroach upon this previously forbidden realm in a manner consistent with both their accepted social roles and strongly held religious beliefs. To illustrate this point, I explore evidence that Margaret Clifford, Lady Cumberland, engaged with the chymical world by means of patronage, the accumulation of knowledge and its implementation in her charitable medical practice, bringing to light new details about the so-called 'Margaret Manuscript'.
Brief Ignite presentation for a non-specialist audience at the 2011 Kiwi Foo Camp 'un-conference'... more Brief Ignite presentation for a non-specialist audience at the 2011 Kiwi Foo Camp 'un-conference' (http://baacamp.org). The five-minute Ignite format requires 20 slides, each displayed for just 15 seconds. Quite a whirlwind but an excellent exercise in brevity!
Historians have traditionally downplayed Elizabeth I's interest in and patronage of chymistry, bu... more Historians have traditionally downplayed Elizabeth I's interest in and patronage of chymistry, but it is no coincidence that the queen who so carefully managed her iconography drew comparisons to 'Lady Alchymia'. We first find significant evidence of female chymical practitioners in England during her reign. This paper examines precedents for feminine involvement in alchemical writings, imagery and legends, arguing that the dominance of male practitioners was rooted in cultural norms rather than a function of the art itself. Representation of concepts like 'Lady Alchymia', 'Sapientia' and 'Dame Nature' as female — in contrast to the male natural philosophers who wished to uncover their secrets — lent themselves to chymistry's portrayal and function as a creative act suitable only for men. Elizabeth I's influence allowed English women, particularly Protestant gentlewomen, to encroach upon this previously forbidden realm in a manner consistent with both their accepted social roles and strongly held religious beliefs. To illustrate this point, I explore evidence that Margaret Clifford, Lady Cumberland, engaged with the chymical world by means of patronage, the accumulation of knowledge and its implementation in her charitable medical practice, bringing to light new details about the so-called 'Margaret Manuscript'.
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