Women’s History Month - Joan Beauchamp Proctor

This one is about Joan Beauchamp Procter, born in Britain in 1897.  Joan was a zoologist and a trailblazer in a subject dominated by men.

At the age of 19, she presented a paper to the Zoological Society of London, which was based on her observations of the animals she kept, including snakes and frogs.  At the age of 20 she as an Assistant Keeper of reptiles and fishes at the British Museum and three years later become London Zoo’s Curator of reptiles.  Joan’s achievements include discovering a new species of reptile called the Peninsula Dragon Lizard.

Joan garnered attention from the press.  A small blonde woman handling pythons and lizards was unusual during those times.  At first Joan was considered a novelty, but over time became respect for her intellect.  Joan worked with architects to design the zoo’s reptile house, which is apparently still used today.

Joan  became recognised for her knowledge in herpetology (the study of cold blooded tetrapods, yes I had to look it  up), publishing many papers. Another of Joan’s achievements was that the reptiles in her care lived longer than ever before.  Sadly she died as a young woman, aged 34, having been ill most of her life.

I loved reading about Joan and what struck me was that whilst she gained knowledge, more than most about reptiles, it was also her nurturing and care of these animals that made her stand out. 

It feels to me that Joan had that very special blend of yin and yang.  The concrete knowledge needed to know about how to care for animals, but also an emotional attachment to help them thrive.

This information about Joan is from the book ‘Women in Science – 50 fearless pioneers who change the world’ by Rachel Ignotofsky.