Women Inventors

A fun and feminist celebration of the forgotten women in science, technology, and beyond—from the bestselling author of The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy. You may think you know women’s history pretty well. But have you ever heard of: • Alice Ball, the chemist who developed an effective treatment for leprosy—only to have the credit taken by a man? • Mary Sherman Morgan, the rocket scientist whose liquid fuel compounds blasted the first U.S. satellite into orbit? • Huang Daopo, the inventor whose weaving technology revolutionized textile production in China—centuries before the cotton gin? Smart women have always been able to achieve amazing things, even when the odds were stacked against them. In Wonder Women, author Sam Maggs tells the stories of the brilliant, brainy, and totally rad women in history who broke barriers as scientists, engineers, mathematicians, adventurers, and inventors. Plus, interviews with real-life women in STEM careers, an extensive bibliography, and a guide to women-centric science and technology organizations—all to show the many ways the geeky girls of today can help to build the future. Table of Contents: Women of Science Women of Medicine Women of Espionage Women of Innovation Women of Adventure

"Written with clarity and a lively eye both for detail and for the progress of feminism in the United States." SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE In this fascinating study of American women inventors, historian Anne Macdonald shows how creative, resourceful, and entrepreneurial women helped to shatter the ancient stereotypes of mechanically inept womanhood. In presenting their stories, Anne Macdonald's thorough research in patent archives and her engaging use of period magazine, journals, lectures, records from major fairs and expositions, and interviews, have made her book nothing less than an overall history of the women's movement in America.

Surveys the lives and work of such innovative women as Grace Hopper, Fannie Farmer, C. J. Walker, and Stephanie Kwolek.

An illustrated history of the evolution of British women's cycle wear. The bicycle in Victorian Britain is often celebrated as a vehicle of women's liberation. Less noted is another critical technology with which women forged new and mobile public lives—cycle wear. This illustrated account of women's cycle wear from Goldsmiths Press brings together Victorian engineering and radical feminist invention to supply a missing chapter in the history of feminism. Despite its benefits, cycling was a material and ideological minefield for women. Conventional fashions were unworkable, with skirts catching in wheels and tangling in pedals. Yet wearing “rational” cycle wear could provoke verbal and sometimes physical abuse from those threatened by newly mobile women. Seeking a solution, pioneering women not only imagined, made, and wore radical new forms of cycle wear but also patented their inventive designs. The most remarkable of these were convertible costumes that enabled wearers to transform ordinary clothing into cycle wear. Drawing on in-depth archival research and inventive practice, Kat Jungnickel brings to life in rich detail the little-known stories of six inventors of the 1890s. Alice Bygrave, a dressmaker of Brixton, registered four patents for a skirt with a dual pulley system built into its seams. Julia Gill, a court dressmaker of Haverstock Hill, patented a skirt that drew material up the waist using a mechanism of rings or eyelets. Mary and Sarah Pease, sisters from York, patented a skirt that could be quickly converted into a fashionable high-collar cape. Henrietta Müller, a women's rights activist of Maidenhead, patented a three-part cycling suit with a concealed system of loops and buttons to elevate the skirt. And Mary Ann Ward, a gentlewoman of Bristol, patented the “Hyde Park Safety Skirt,” which gathered fabric at intervals using a series of side buttons on the skirt. Their unique contributions to cycling's past continue to shape urban life for contemporary mobile women.

This book in the acclaimed Women's Hall of Fame Series profiles 10 incredible women with an itch to invent. Written in an accessible, engaging, and informative style, Incredible Women Inventors examines both the challenges and successes in the lives of ten international problem-solvers. From Anna Sutherland Bissell, inventor of the carpet sweeper, to Elizabeth "Elsie" MacGill, the first woman aircraft designer in the world, young readers will have much to motivate them after reading these biographies, both in science and in life in general.

Uses short biographies of women inventors around the world to demonstrate how inventions come about.

This book presents ten gifted women from diverse eras and backgrounds whose inventions have had a profound impact on the way we live.

"We've all heard of Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison, but very few female inventors are household names. This fascinating book illuminates the history of women who used their brainpower and skills to produce important items we use ever day. Meet Hedy LaMarr, a famous Hollywood actress by day and inventor of a radio guidance system for torpedos by night. Marvel at the cleverness of Ng Mui, who developed the martial art known as Wing Chun, which later developed into kung fu"--

Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including by creating new and incredible inventions. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women inventors, from Margaret Knight to Rachel Zimmerman, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to be an inventor. Find out about the opportunities women inventors have today. Read Women Inventors to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women whose inventions have made their mark is something you want to do.

Presents biographical sketches on five of the most influential American women inventors and describes their inventions, obtacles with which they were confronted, and their impact on American society.