Film for Kathleen Lonsdale in Quaker library
Kathleen Lonsdale's election as a fellow was celebrated by the Royal Society with a short film
The Library of the Society of Friends in London was transformed into a film set this month. The Royal Society marked the eightieth anniversary of the pioneering Quaker scientist Kathleen Lonsdale's election as a fellow by creating a short film, partly set in Friends House.
A prominent pacifist, Kathleen Lonsdale was the first woman to be admitted as a fellow to the Royal Society, along with microbiologist Marjory Stephenson.
‘We were delighted to share some of our material relating to Kathleen Lonsdale with Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Jocelyn Bell Burnell, two inspirational women scientists, who hosted the film,’ the library announced on social media.
Yoshika Kobayashi, access and engagement coordinator for Britain Yearly Meeting, told the Friend that filming also took place in The Light, in Friends House, as well as at University College London and the Royal Society. ‘They spent one morning at Friends House filming,’ she said. ‘I imagine [the film] will be available on their website/social media.’
The library also marked the tenth anniversary of the United Nations’ International Day of Women and Girls in Science by highlighting its copy of In Pursuit of a Shadow: By a lady astronomer, published in 1887. The ‘lady astronomer’ was Elizabeth Brown, who was born into a Quaker family in 1830 and helped to found the British Astronomical Association, where she was director of the solar section. She also became a fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society.
