‘The Petticoat Peril’: exploring women in pharmacy history

Today, over 60% of British pharmacists are women, and women’s involvement in pharmacy has a very long history. Briony will explore early examples of women making and selling medicines, but then primarily focus on the role of women in the history of pharmacy as it has developed as a profession in Britain from the mid-19th century. Alongside introducing some of the key pioneer figures, many Bloomsbury-based, she will reflect on changing attitudes towards women pharmacists and step-changes in their roles notably as a result of the First World War, and the significant feminisation of the profession from the late twentieth century. Although the talk will concentrate on community pharmacy, it will also touch on the history of pharmacy education and the role of women in the pharmaceutical industry.

Briony Hudson has written many publications, including books on liquorice, English delftware drug jars, popular historical medicines, and the histories of UCL, Cardiff and Sunderland schools of pharmacy. She is the author of seven entries for women pharmacists in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and a recipient of the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Medal from the Society of Apothecaries.

The talk will include a Q&A session. Attendees are invited to view a display of items from the Senate House Library collections following the talk.

Please register via the Pascal Theatre Company website.

The event forms part of Pascal Theatre Company’s two-year heritage lottery project Women for Women: 19th century women in Bloomsbury. For more information on the project see Introduction and Women on the Pascal Theatre Company website.