People: Ida Smedley (1877-1944)

You can find out more about Smedley's Research  

Ida Smedley was born into a prosperous, cultured and forward-thinking Birmingham family, and her sister later recalled their childhood household as like a ‘miniature salon’: 2. 'Our Home became a Miniature Salon' 

Smedley went on to achieve many firsts, including an early Beit Fellowship (1910) that earned her (not always typographically accurate!) accolades at home and abroad: 3. A Fitting Typo! 

Such awards were followed by professional memberships and publications that established her as a leading expert in both chemistry and biochemistry: 4. 'The Leading Woman Chemist of England' 

Like her sister Constance Smedley, Ida from the 1900s actively worked to increase women’s involvement in social and intellectual life: 5. Sisterhood 

Newspaper reports indicate that Ida became further involved in suffrage and equality campaigns in the 1920s, both at home and abroad: 6. The Feminist Academic 

Image: Wellcome Library, London