Womanica

Nirmala Patwardhan (1928-2008) revived an ancient glaze technique, taught generations of potters, and left her mark on ceramic art around the world. For Further Reading:New Handbook for PottersLate Nirmala PatwardhanThis month, we’re talking about Women of the Wheel – icons who turned motion into momentum and spun their legacies on spokes, skates and potter’s wheels. These women harnessed the...

Yui Kamiji (1994-present) is a Japanese professional wheelchair tennis player. She won 32 major titles at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and a gold for both singles and doubles at the 2024 Paralympics.For Further Reading:How Japan emerged as a wheelchair tennis powerhousePlay True 2020: Yui Kamiji, Wheelchair TennisYui Kamiji’s Evolution Into A Wheelchair Tennis Gold Medalist; Athlete’s Development of...

Gunta Stözl (1897-1983) was a German textile artist who pioneered a modern, industrial textile design style through the German Bauhaus school. Her experimental, kaleidoscopic, and richly tactile designs remain influential today.  For Further Reading:Frauhaus: Gunta Stölzl and the Women of the BauhausBauhaus: Art as Life - Gunta Stölzl: A Daughter's Perspectivebauhausfaces series: Gunta S...

Kittie Knox (1874-1900) was an American cyclist and prominent figure in the then-early American sport. She was the first Black member of the League of American Wheelmen, joining in 1893, challenging and joining the organization’s segregationist policies. Known for her prowess, style, and finesse, Kittkie Knox was a pioneer when very few women, let alone women of color, were allowed to participate....

Margaret Rarru (1940-Present) is an indigenous Australian master weaver. She is most known for her conical baskets and creation of “mol,” a black dye which she alone can give permission to use.For Further Reading:Meet Margaret Rarru – weaver and painterMargaret Rarru Garrawurra and Helen Ganalmirriwuy GarrawurraGarrawurra mindirrMeet the Grande Dames of Milingimbi: The Women Who WeaveMargaret Rarr...

Sumiko Iwamuro (1935-present), known as DJ Sumirock, is a Japanese DJ. She worked in her family’s restaurant for decades before deciding to go to DJ school in her seventies. In May 2018, she was recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest professional club DJ at 83 years old. She is now 90 years old and still playing live shows at DecaBarZ Shinjuku’s Kabukicho district.  For Furth...

Clotho is a figure from ancient Greek mythology. The youngest of the Three Fates, or Moirai, she spins the thread of human life that decides a soul’s destiny at birth.For Further Reading:The FatesThe Fates: Hanging by a ThreadMoirai at the Theoi ProjectThis month, we’re talking about Women of the Wheel – icons who turned motion into momentum and spun their legacies on spokes, skates and potter’s w...

Margaret Anderson (1959 - present), known as The Ranking Miss P,  was a DJ “spinner” in the 1980s, and the first black female DJ on BBC Radio 1. She brought reggae, soul, funk, and Black British culture into the UK mainstream. Miss P didn't just play music, she helped redefine what it means to be a strong and memorable voice on air.  For Further Reading: Women of British Regg...

Ana Delfosse (1931-2017) was an Argentine race-car driver and Formula One mechanic. She worked for Grand Prix champion Juan Fangio who broke speed records and social barriers when she became the first woman to win a pure-speed auto race in Argentina.  For Further Reading:  A frightening turn for former race car driver Ana Delfosse, once Juan Fangio's mechanic Juan Manuel Fangio By Workin...

Ella Chafee (1945-2019) was a professional wheelchair athlete. She competed in the Paralympics three times in fencing, racing, and swimming. She was inducted into the Basketball, Swimming, and Track and Field Hall of Fame.  For Further Reading:  ELLA CHAFEE Paralympian Ella Chafee Dies at 74 Chafee inducted into Wheelchair B-ball Hall This month, we're talking about Women of the Wheel &n...

Louise Armaindo (c.1861 - 1900) was a Canadian strongwoman, trapeze artist, “pedestrienne”, and record-breaking high-wheel racer. She was one of the first professional women athletes. Though her feats of power and endurance earned her recognition as one of the great athletes of her time years after she was last seen, much of her story remained a historical footnote until recently. For...

Caroline LeCount (c. 1846-1923) was a teacher and civil rights activist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who successfully fought to desegregate the city's streetcars. For Further Reading: Caroline LeCount & the Ohio Street School Before Rosa Parks: The fight for Philly transit equity and the Black women on the frontlines Caroline LeCount (1846-1923) Philly mayor signs into law making Caroline L...

Zinaida Troitskaya (1913-1981) was a Soviet railway engineer and locomotive driver who broke barriers as one of the first women to hold leadership positions in the male-dominated field of rail transportation. She was instrumental in transporting people and supplies during World War II and served as the Deputy Head of the Moscow Metro for 30 years. For Further Reading: History of female drivers in...

Cheryl Glass (1961-1997) was an American driver and one of the first African American female racing drivers. She competed in sprint car driving in the Pacific Northwest and attempted a national level career as well. For Further Reading: The Life and Death of Cheryl Glass The First Lady of Dirt: The Triumphs and Tragedy of Racing Pioneer Cheryl Glass Don't hate me because I'm fast: Remembering Cher...

Eliska Junková  (1900-1994) was a Czech motosport enthusiast and the first woman to win a Grand Prix racing event. She garnered attention for her prowess on the track in what is still a male-dominated sport.  Further Reading: Classic & Sports Car: The Pioneering Miss Bugatti Federation Internationale Vehicules Anciens, Elisabeth Junek This month, we're talking about Women of t...

Julia Barfield (1952-present) is a British architect most well-known as one of the designers of the London Eye observation wheel. She continues to work as an architect today, with a particular focus on addressing the climate crisis. For Further Reading: Architects David Marks and Julia Barfield: how we made the London Eye London Eye at 25: The wheel that nearly wasn't Julia Barfield: ‘A lot...

Fortuna is the Roman goddess of fortune and luck. Often depicted holding a ship's rudder and wheel, she steers fate for better or worse. Her wheel of fortune became a well known literary symbol we still use to depict the ups and downs of luck today. This month, we're talking about Women of the Wheel – icons who turned motion into momentum and spun their legacies on spokes, skates and potter'...

Toshiko Takaezu (1922-2011) was a Japanese-American ceramicist. Drawing from her heritage, love of travel, and a deep connection to nature and spirituality, she created closed ceramic forms that emphasized presence over function. As both an artist and teacher, she advocated for art to be a path to reflection and self-expression. For Further Reading: Toshiko Takaezu, Ceramic Artist, Dies at 88 Tosh...

Alfonsina Strada (1891-1959) was an Italian cyclist and the first and only woman to compete in a men's cycling Grand Tour. In an era when women were discouraged from sports, Alfonsina took up cycling at a young age and earned the local moniker “devil in the dress” for her fervor. In 1924, she entered the prestigious Giro D'Italia under the name “Alfonsin.” She was eventuall...

Joan Weston (1935-1996) was a California-born roller-derby athlete. She is most known for being one of the highest-paid female athlete in the 1960s, and by her nicknames: “The Blonde Bomber,” the “Golden Girl,” and “the Roller Derby Queen.” For Further Reading:  The Lives They Lived: Joanie Weston; The Blond Bomber Joanie Weston, 62, a Big Star In the World...

Lydia Delectorskaya (1910-1998) became the final muse for the celebrated French modernist painter Henri Matisse.  This month, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed! We'll be talking about Pink Collar Workers: women who revolutionized jobs that have traditionally been called "women's work." Through their lives, they created a more just and humane worl...

Mary Eliza Mahoney (1845-1926) was the first African American to complete a professional training program and work as a nurse in the United States. This month, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed! We'll be talking about Pink Collar Workers: women who revolutionized jobs that have traditionally been called "women's work." Through their lives, they create...

Buffalo Bird Woman (c. 1839-1932), also known as Maxidiwiac, was a Hidatsa woman whose recollections on traditional Hidatsa culture, customs, and especially agricultural knowledge, were written down and preserved through interviews at the turn of the 20th century. For Further Reading:  Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden Stories Behind Objects, Maxi'diwiac Knife River Indian Villages National Histori...

Miriam Lee (1926-2009) was one of the pioneering acupuncturists in America, responsible for acupuncture being legalized in California. This month, we're bringing back some of our favorite Womanica episodes you might have missed! We'll be talking about Pink Collar Workers: women who revolutionized jobs that have traditionally been called "women's work." Through their lives, they created a more just...

Mina Miller Edison (1865-1947) was the second wife of American inventor and businessman Thomas Edison. She was an advocate for acknowledging the domestic labor required of women. She called herself a “home executive” and emphasized the importance of women's work as actual work, not an idealized calling. For Further Reading:  Mina Miller Edison Honoring Mina Edison for Women's Hist...