Looking at the walls of the Linnean Society's rooms in Burlington House, it would be easy to assume that women have played only a small part in its history and achievements. Among the many likenesses of our male Presidents, Fellows, and adopted heroes, only two portraits of women are on permanent view (Irene Manton, our first female President, 1973-1976, and Pleasance Smith, the wife of our founder).

This is a shocking imbalance, one that overlooks the profound contribution women have made to the intellectual life of the Society since its foundation, and in the 116 years since their first admission to Fellowship. It is an imbalance we have attempted to redress in an exhibition of photographic portraits in the Society's Library. Showcasing the first women to be admitted as Fellows, we hope to shed some light on their lives and achievements and, by extension, the contributions of women in science from all eras and backgrounds. The exhibition, which is mounted in the main reading room, uses original carte de visite photographs submitted by the subjects for their Fellowship applications.