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Hardy 1 Williamina Fleming Hardy 1 Williamina Fleming: Breaking Barriers with A Universe of Glass Isabella L. Hardy Junior Division Individual Performance paper 500 words In the past, women in the sciences were often overlooked, so for National History Day, I chose to focus on an under-recognized female scientist. Early in my research, I found Williamina Paton Fleming. I was surprised I had never encountered her although I had heard of her colleagues, Annie Jump Cannon and Henrietta Leavitt. I have always loved studying the stars and am fascinated by the role of women in astronomy whose important contributions are sometimes forgotten. Williamina Fleming’s unique ability to interpret astronomical photographs changed astronomy in nineteenth- century America and beyond, breaking barriers for scientists and for women. In preliminary research, I located Harvard’s digital scans of Fleming's diary and excellent period photographs, as well as many academic articles about her and other women at the Harvard Observatory. I was also privileged to interview Dr. Lindsay Smith, current Curator of Astronomical Photographs at Harvard. She was extremely helpful in suggesting sources and later reviewed the performance script. Not much is known about Fleming’s early years in Scotland. After her husband abandoned her, she worked for Harvard Observatory Director Edward Pickering, who hired her for the new project to map the night sky. The process involved taking images though telescopes, then mapping all the stars in that small section of sky. Using this process, Fleming discovered stars, novae, and nebulae and encouraged the work of other astronomers, while facilitating many important discoveries. I chose performance to give a voice to a person who has been largely unnoticed. This category also allows others to help tell her story. A professor giving a tour is used to set the scene, reciting a poem about observing the stars, while also indicating that astronomy was once seen as a job for men only. I use Fleming herself to describe the process of analyzing the astronomical photographs, and her own words from her journal explain how women were paid differently than men. Annie Jump Cannon, who lived until 1941 and wrote Fleming’s obituary, discusses Fleming’s legacy. The professor concludes by explaining how the plates continue to be used in the twenty-first century. The set pieces include a telescope to create the impression of being in the observatory and a table similar to the one seen in images. Props, including the “flyspanker” I crafted, are also based on photos. I also fabricated glass plates to imitate theirs. Some of the obstacles I encountered include the lack of reliable information about Fleming’s youth. Fleming also only kept a journal for three months; however, many of her colleagues did keep life-long journals. While creating this project, I learned much about the history and the science of astronomy and the evolution of women’s roles in science. I learned there were a variety of attitudes toward women scientists in the past. Pickering was ahead of his time hiring women, but not everyone accepted them as scientists. It is important that these women be recognized, and I hope to help reveal Fleming and her associates for the stars that they are. Annotated Bibliography Primary Sources Articles Cannon, Annie Jump. “Minor Contributions and Notes: Williamina Paton Fleming.” Astrophysical Journal. July 1911. Vol. 34. pp. 314-317. This obituary of Fleming was written by her friend and colleague Annie Jump Cannon. This version was for the American Astronomical Society magazine, for which Fleming often published as well. Cannon published similar obituaries with some variations in many other magazines at the time. Cannon also submitted the obituary for Fleming to Nature and Scientific American. Some of Cannon’s phrases from the Astrophysical Journal obituary inspired the way in which Cannon’s character in the performance describes Fleming’s discoveries and awards. “Death of Woman Astronomer is Loss to World of Science.” Los Angeles Times. 25 Jun. 1911. p. III20. ProQuest Historical Newspapers. This short obituary presents some of Fleming’s discoveries and accomplishments in her life. It indicates that the world of science has had a horrible loss upon her death. It is interesting that this newspaper in California published the piece, but its length shows that Fleming’s death was considered only a minor news item. Fleming, Williamina. “A Field for Woman’s Work in Astronomy.” Astronomy and Astrophysics Vol 12 1893. pp.683-689. Fleming published this article in 1895 in the Astronomy and Astrophysics Journal. Fleming writes of how women at the Harvard Observatory are treated well by men there, “with the greatest courtesy, encouragement, and assistance being graciously accorded.” Although Fleming complained in her journal about salary inequity, she indicates here that her male co-workers were respectful of the women computers. Fleming wrote this article not long after the spectra chart was invented. “Harvard’s Women Astronomers: Work of Mrs. Fleming and Associates.” New York Times. 12 Oct. 1904. This short article discusses the Harvard human computers project and mentions all of the women involved in the project and some of their accomplishments. “Obituary.” New - York Tribune. 22 May 1911. ProQuest. A small obituary about Fleming is brief and crammed into the corner of the New - York Tribune newspaper. Compared to the obituaries in other publications, this one is far less extensive. Thompson, Grace Agnes. “Williamina Paton Fleming.” New England Magazine. Sept. 1912. pp. 458- 467. This is an obituary and life summary published a year and a half after Fleming died. It covers many of her accomplishments in her career. Details include how the program was established and how Fleming came to work at the observatory, as well as personal details, such as her enjoyment of Harvard football games. The character of the professor wears a scarf in Harvard colors not only because she is giving the tour in winter (when the Horsehead Nebula is visible), but also to show Harvard team spirit in honor of Fleming’s enthusiasm for football. “Woman Astronomer Dead.” The New York Times. 22 May 1911. p. 11. ProQuest Historical Newspapers. Fleming’s New York Times obituary specifically describes her as one of “the foremost astronomers of the world.” Her achievements are also listed. “Woman Astronomer Discovered Six Out Of Nine New Stars.” Boston Daily Globe. 26 Aug. 1906. p. SM5. ProQuest Historical Newspapers. A newspaper article written about Fleming's discoveries of six new stars, this gives details on all her discoveries up to this point. Fleming was not often mentioned by name in major newspapers before her death, so this article is important and likely reflects local interest. “Woman Finds New Star.” New York Times Oct 15, 1910. p. 1. ProQuest Historical Newspapers. This article states that just that evening Professor Pickering had announced that Mrs. Fleming had found a new star. It was the seventeenth new star found at Harvard in the previous 25 years. Books Moulton, Forest Ray. An Introduction to Astronomy. Macmillan, 1925. Originally published in 1906, and reprinted numerous times until 1925, this textbook mentions “Mrs. Fleming” briefly in the section on spectra, along with “Miss Maury” and “Miss Cannon.” They are listed after “E.C. Pickering” who also appears several other times in the text. There is no other mention of the discoveries at Harvard being made by specifically Fleming or the other women at Harvard. The Harvard College Observatory is mentioned several times, along with projects on which Fleming was working, such as the variable stars, spectra, and discoveries of novae, which the text calls “temporary stars,” but the discoveries are not credited to her. The spectra charts in the performance are based on the ones in this book. Images “Annie Jump Cannon.” Smithsonian Institution Archives. https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/ siris_arc_291026Ait. Accessed 12 Feb 2020. This photograph of Harvard computer and famous astronomer Annie Jump Cannon was taken when she was older, after Fleming had passed away. This image helped shape the performance’s portrayal of Cannon, who was unable to hear out of her left ear her entire life though her hearing loss worsened as she got older. “b03512.” Harvard Archives. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0Bxujr8LbXi_JN1pVMmk2 U25DTXM?hl=en, Accessed 12 Jan. 2020. Harvard has scanned images, including this one, of many of the original glass plates the Harvard women computers marked and studied. The notes that were written on the glass were composed by Fleming and her colleagues. This particular image was used to make one of the reproduction glass plates used in the performance. “b09307.” Harvard Archives. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0Bxujr8LbXi_JN1pVMmk2 U25DTXM?hl=en. Accessed 11 Jan. 2020. This scan of one of the many photographic plates at Harvard was used to make the reproduction plates used in the performance. There are notes written on the glass which indicate information about each star, sometimes using the systems Fleming and her co-workers created. “b10250.” Harvard Archives. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0Bxujr8LbXi_JN1pVMmk2U25D TXM?hl=en. Accessed 13 Jan. 2020. This photograph is one of the scans of a glass plate that was used to replicate the plates as props for the performance. “Bruce Telescope Peru.” Harvard University Archives https://drive.google.com/drive/folders /0Bxujr8LbXi_JN1pVMmk2U25DTXM?hl=en Accessed 10 Jan. 2020. The Bruce Telescope was used at Harvard’s Peru site to provide images from the Southern Hemisphere. It was named in honor of its sponsor, Catherine Wolfe Bruce, a wealthy astronomy enthusiast. “Computers c. 1891.” Harvard University Archives. 1891. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_q IE_fv7SwtbTq97qMB2ELNyZaev_kVvPwRU5SVfat8/edit Accessed 12 Jan. 2020. Williamina Fleming and another (unidentified) female computer are featured in this image taken in 1891.
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