An online exhibition for the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture

When women first started working at the Museum of Comparative Zoology in the late nineteenth century, they were hired as assistants, secretaries, and librarians—and only rarely as curators.

Often assigned repetitive and mundane tasks, they nonetheless made significant contributions to the museum’s early history. This exhibit highlights their work for the first time. While their expertise and extensive knowledge of the museum’s collections may not have been fully appreciated by their contemporaries, today we recognize how their work allowed the museum to grow into its role as a center for research, teaching, and public programs.

My Role: Exhibit Developer