In 1920 Ella Sykes became the third female secretary of the Royal Asiatic Society, following Charlotte Hughes and Elinor Hull. Their appointments were indicative of ongoing changes over several decades in academic and professional opportunities available to European women, not only in Europe but also wider afield, including British India. Aurel Stein, an outsider who likewise had to fight for his own opportunities in British society, had several women among his closest circle of friends. The women are distinguished – as are his male friends – by their strong characters, intelligence, sympathy and interests: indeed, he wrote that he valued one such friendship ‘higher as an honour than membership of Academies’. Here I look at some of these women, as they provide a snapshot of the interests and achievements of women at this time, particularly in Asian travel, work and study.
About the Speaker
Professor of Silk Road Studies at the Sainsbury Institute for Japanese Arts and Cultures (SISJAC), UEA, Susan Whitfield has worked on the Stein collections for over three decades. She curated his collections at the British Library, carried out field work in many of his excavation sites, organised major exhibitions, and has written numerous books and articles.
Free and open to all.
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