Exhibition tour

    Anita Corbin 100 First Women Portraits 15 February – 7 June 2020 ‘For a long time I asked myself: how was society acknowledging our contemporary trailblazing females? Where were the statues in Parliament Square? The portraits in important … Continued

    First Woman to front and play bass guitar in a Rock n’ Roll Band January 2015, at home in Essex b.1950, Detroit Musician / singer Suzi Quatro was the first female bass player to become a major rock … Continued

  First Woman to achieve the UEFA Pro License (Union of European Football Associations) March 2011, Charlton Athletic Football Club, London b.1966, Lewisham Former international footballer Hope Powell became the first woman to achieve the UEFA pro licence in 2003, … Continued

    First Woman to Chair the Oxford University Labour Club May 2011, The Dining Hall, Somerville College, Oxford. b.1930, Chelsea, London Politician and academic, in 1950, aged 20 Shirley Williams became the first woman to chair the Oxford University … Continued

    First Woman to be a Head Cutter in Savile Row June 2011, The Cutting Room, Gieves and Hawkes, Savile Row, London b. Leeds In 2009 Kathryn Sargent became the first female head cutter in the history of Savile … Continued

  First Woman to become a Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London March 2010, The Tower of London b.1964, Argyll, Scotland Moira Cameron made history in 2007 when she became the first woman to ever become a Yeoman Warder … Continued

    First Woman to be commander of New College RMA, Sandhurst and First Woman President Army Officer Selection Board December 2015, New College, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Surrey b.1969, Somerset Lieutenant Colonel Lucy Giles RLC was the first ever … Continued

    First Woman to defeat a man in a televised UK major open darts championship May 2016, Spots and Stripes, London b.1959, Jamaica Deta Hedman is an English darts player and in 2005 became the first woman to defeat … Continued

    First Woman to become a full-time member of Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band December 2011, at home in Saddleworth, Lancashire b.1983, Oldham Musician Hirst made musical and traditional history in 2010 when she became the first woman in … Continued

  First Woman Speaker of the House of Commons April 2010, Royal Gallery, Houses of Parliament, London b.1929, Yorkshire Baroness Berry Boothroyd served as a Member of Parliament for 27 years. She was elected the first, and to date only … Continued

  First Woman to be made a Member of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths October 2015, at The Forge, Worcestershire b.1962, Warwickshire Michelle J. Parker FWCB is the first female professional working blacksmith to be appointed as a Liveryman of … Continued

  First Woman to win the Mongol Derby September 2014, at home in Hampshire b. 1994, London In 2013 Prior-Palmer was the first and so far only female Briton to win the Mongol Derby, the world’s longest – and arguably … Continued

  First Woman Chief Constable in the Police Service May 2015, Valentine Place, London b.1947, Lancashire In 1995 Pauline Clare became chief constable for Lancashire police, making her the first ever woman in the 103 years of the police service … Continued

  First Woman Principal of St Andrews University and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University October 2015, Principal’s house, University of St. Andrews, Scotland b.1958, Ireland Professor Louise Richardson is the first woman to be Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. A … Continued

  First Woman to present BBC’s Top of The Pops May 2015, Media City UK, Salford Quays b.1955, Liverpool In January 1983, Janice Long became the first woman to present the TV seminal music show Top of The Pops, presented … Continued

  First Woman to be ordained as a Bishop (Lutheran) April 2010, Church of St Anne and St Agnes, London b.1953, London Jana was ordained pastor in 1997 and was consecrated as Bishop in the Lutheran Church in Great Britain … Continued

  First Woman (UK) to ride a motorcycle around the world May 2015, at home in Surrey b.1959, London Architect and motorcyclist. At 23 years old Elspeth Beard was the first Englishwoman to ride a motorcycle around the world from … Continued

  First Woman (UK) World Champion Beatboxer July 2013, The Purcell Room, The Southbank Centre, London b.1988, Exeter In a musical genre dominated by men, Bel Ehresman made her mark by becoming the first professional female beatboxer in the UK. … Continued

  First Woman to become a British Ambassador June 2011, at home in Suffolk b. 1927, London d.2015 Dame Anne was a British diplomat and she made history as the first female British Ambassador. This role had existed for over … Continued

  First Woman to officiate in a World Championship snooker final July 2015, The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield (the home of snooker forever 40 years) b. 1967, Bath Michaela Tabb began refereeing professionally on the pool circuit in 1997. After qualifying … Continued

  First Woman to become the Chief Executive Officer of Lloyd’s of London February 2015, Lloyd’s of London b.1963, Reading In 2014 Inga Beale became the first woman chief executive officer in the 330-year history of Lloyd’s of London – … Continued

  First Woman to be awarded the silver medal at the Royal Academy of Engineering February 2014, IBM Hursley, Hampshire b.1965, Bath An IBM Distinguished Engineer and Master Inventor. In 2001 at the age of 36, Chessell became the first … Continued

  First Woman President of the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) January 2015, Living Systems Institute building (during construction) University of Exeter b.1953, Stafford Involved in the design and supervision of a wide range of civil and structural projects over … Continued

  First Woman Director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain August 2011, at Home in Oxford b.1950, London Baroness Greenfield made history in 1998 when she became the first woman director of the Royal Institute of Great Britain, founded … Continued

  First Woman president of the Royal Horticultural Society RHS October 2011, at home, Hergest Croft Gardens, Herefordshire b.1941, Northamptonshire Elizabeth Banks is a landscape architect and set up her own business in 1985 designing Rosemoor Gardens for the RHS … Continued

  First Woman to win the Edinburgh Festival Perrier Comedy Award February 2015, at home in South London b.1960, Malaysia English comedian, novelist and actress, Jenny Eclair became the first woman to receive the coveted Edinburgh Comedy Awards (formerly known … Continued

  First Woman officer in the RAF to be IEDD (Improvised Explosive Device Disposal) qualified September 2015, RAF Wittering, Cambridgeshire b.1989, Oxford In 2015 Flight Lieutenant Leanne Martin became the first woman to be fully qualified as a bomb disposal … Continued

  First Woman to set a British Record Title in Women’s Olympic Clay Trap Shooting (100% perfect score) March 2013, Ling Shooting, Wellington, Somerset b.1987, High Wycombe Five times British champion, world and European champion and Commonwealth Games medallist, Abbey … Continued

  First Woman President of The Rotary Club (RIBI) June 2013, KidsOut, Aldershot Garrison Rugby Ground, Hampshire b.1951, Irvine, Scotland In 2013 McCreadie was the first woman to be made President of all the Rotary clubs in Great Britain and … Continued

    Anita Corbin 100 First Women Portraits 15 February – 7 June 2020 Every woman in this collection had something to share with me about their roles; roles traditionally held by men for decades. What became clear was this … Continued

  First Woman to be a Surrogate Mother June 2011, at home in Milton Keynes b.1956, London Kim Cotton was the UK’s first surrogate mother. In 1985, at the age of 28, she changed history (and UK law) by carrying … Continued

  First Woman governor at Strangeways (class A prison) June 2016, at home in Hove, Sussex b.1946, Ashton-under-Lyne In 1982 Duffin became the first woman Governor Grade at HMP Strangeways, the notorious Category B male prison. She became a Prison … Continued

  First Woman to be The Keeper of the Royal Academy Schools Feb 2016, The Keeper’s Studio, the Royal Academy of Arts, London b.1953, Glossop Eileen Cooper is a respected artist who was elected as a Royal Academician in 2000. … Continued

  First Woman to row across the Indian Ocean November 2009, Whitwell, Rutland Water b.1985, Wegberg, Germany In 2009 Sarah Outen was the first woman and youngest person (24) to row solo across the Indian Ocean in 2009. Rowing for … Continued

  First Woman in the world to manage a blast furnace April 2013, Turbine Floor, Sembcorp Utilities UK, Teeside b.1971, Gloucestershire In 2004, Atkinson became the first woman in the world to manage the cast house of a blast furnace … Continued

  First Woman Attorney General for England & Wales and First Woman Secretary-General of the Commonwealth July 2011, West Front Corridor, House of Lords, London b.1955, Dominica In 2007, Baroness Scotland of Asthal became the first woman to serve as … Continued

  First Woman to regularly read the news on the BBC June 2011, Kensington Church Street, London b.1944, Plymouth Television journalist, news reader and presenter, in 1975 Angela Rippon became the first woman to regularly read the national news on … Continued

  First Woman (UK) to win a Gold Medal (Taekwondo) at the Inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore (2010) December 2011, The National Taekwondo Centre, Manchester b.1993, Denbighshire Introduced to taekwondo at 8 years old by her grandfather, Jade Louise … Continued

  First Woman to lead an all-male field force in the British Army November 2014, at home at Rossholme, Somerset b.1949, Weston super Mare At the age of 33, Major Judith Webb was the first woman to command an all … Continued

  First Woman to be a Civil Service Commissioner April 2011, River Rooms, House of Lords, London b. 1948, Kenya In 2000 Baroness Usha Prashar became the First Civil Service Commissioner. Prior to this she was the Executive Chairman of … Continued

  First Woman Lord Speaker June 2011, The Woolsack, House of Lords, London b.1949, Wolverhampton After centuries of being men-only, 1958 saw a change in law that allowed women into the House of Lords. Baroness Hayman changed history when she … Continued

  First Woman to be a Royal Navy ‘Black Cat’ Helicopter Pilot September 2010, RNAS Yeovilton Air Base b.1974, Oxford Lieutenant Commander RS Becky Frater RN has attained numerous military firsts for women, including command of a Naval air squadron … Continued

  Carolynn Sells (with Layla & Bobbi) First Woman to win the Manx Grand Prix TT motorcycle race May 2015, Murray’s Motorcycle Museum, Isle of Man b.1973, Preston Carolynn Sells started riding motorbikes at 12 years old. She is the … Continued

  First Woman to be made a Law Lord and President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom April 2010, in the Library at the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, London b.1945, West Yorkshire In 1984, at the age … Continued

  First Woman President of the International Meteoritical Society January 2014, Robert Hooke Building, Open University, Milton Keynes b.1958, Leeds A British Space Scientist, in 2013 Monica Grady became the first UK scientist to be made President of The International … Continued

    First Woman to hold the role of Chief Medical Officer January 2015, Department of Health, London b.1949, Birmingham Dame Sally is a haematologist and was the first and only woman to date to be appointed Chief Medical Officer … Continued

    First Woman to win a Gold Medal for Britain in the Winter Paralympics (2014) November 2016, Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland b.1985, County Down, Northern Ireland Gallagher, a visually impaired Alpine ski racer, was the first … Continued

  First Woman to command a Naval base March 2016, on board HMS Scott, off Plymouth Sound b.1977, Barrow-in-Furness Karen Dalton-Fyfe joined the Royal Navy in 1997 as a warfare officer. On promotion to Commander in 2014, she became the … Continued

  First Woman to hold the role of Freeman at the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths as a working Silversmith May 2011, in the studio, Holborn b.1946, Wales British silver and goldsmith, Jocelyn Burton won her first significant award The de … Continued

  First Woman to be part of a Formula One pit stop team July 2016, Force India F1, Silverstone, Northamptonshire b. 1963, Derbyshire Louise Goodman is a British motorsport presenter and reporter who became the first woman crew member ever … Continued

  First Woman Director of Tate Britain May 2015, Tate Britain, London b.1961 Tate Britain opened in 2000 and Penelope Curtis – 10 years later in 2010 – was made its first ever female director at the age of 49. … Continued

  First Woman Vice President of oils and lubes at BP Plc May 2011, Boardroom, Castrol/BP Pangbourne Technology Centre, Berkshire b.1952, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex In 2003 Dr Angela Strank became the first woman Technology Vice President at BP/Castrol Lubricants, over 50 … Continued

  First Woman to be First Minister of Scotland October 2015, Bute House, Edinburgh, Scotland b.1970, Irvine, Scotland Nicola Sturgeon is a Scottish politician, First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party (2014 to date). She is … Continued

  First Woman (UK) to ski to the Magnetic North Pole December 2010, Badbury Clump, Oxfordshire b.1966, Edinburgh A polar adventurer and athlete, Stockdale became the first British woman to ski to the magnetic North Pole in 1996 when she … Continued

  First Woman President of the Royal Society of Chemistry January 2014, Royal Society of Chemistry, London b.1953, London British inorganic chemise Lesley Yellowlees was elected President of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2012 the first woman in their … Continued

  First Woman to win an Olympic track Gold Medal (800 metres) for Britain (1964) December 2011, Congleton Canal Tow Path b.1942, Oxfordshire In 1964 aged 22, Ann Packer made history: not just as the first woman to win 800m … Continued

  First Woman (UK) to kayak the length of the Amazon River September 2010, River Thames, Putney Embankment, London b.1983, Carlisle Skelton is a television presenter and became the first woman (UK) in 2010 to kayak the length of the … Continued

  First Woman to head a major union – SOGAT June 2011, TUC Congress House, London b.1943, Salford. d.2018 In 1985, British trade unionist Baroness Dean was elected General Secretary of SOGAT (Society of Graphical and Allied Trades). At 42 … Continued

First Woman to be made Air Vice-Marshal within the RAF September 2016, Officers Mess, RAF High Wycombe b.1961, Cumbria In 2013, Senior RAF Officer Air Vice-Marshal Elaine West became the most senior female officer in the British Armed Forces. At … Continued

  First Woman to be made a partner of UK Accenture March 2011, Cabinet Office, Whitehall, London b.1954, London After joining the company in 1979, Gill Rider went on to become the first woman to be made a partner of … Continued

  First Woman to be The Curator and Head of the Royal Academy Schools February 2016, The Life Drawing Studio, the Royal Academy of Arts, London b. 1961 With a BA in Fine Art and MA in painting, Eliza Bonham … Continued

  First Woman in Britain to receive equal pay (1943) November 2009, at home in Plymouth b.1908, Plymouth. d.2012 In 1941, Edith Kent became the first woman to be employed as a welder at Devonport dockyard. By 1943 she made … Continued

    Anita Corbin 100 First Women Portraits 15 February – 7 June 2020 Anita Corbin’s focus has always been on the image of women. In the early 1980s she created a series of informal portraits of young women in … Continued

  First Woman to be ordained as a Church of England Bishop June 2015, St Mark’s Church, Dunham Town, Cheshire b.1966, High Wycombe Since 2015 Bishop Libby has been Bishop of Stockport, and was the first woman in history to … Continued

  First Woman Director General of MI5 November 2015, at home in Norfolk b.1935, South London In 1992 Stella Rimington was the first woman to be appointed Director General of MI5, Britain’s Security Intelligence Service, founded in 1909. She was … Continued

  First Woman to become Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse June 2015, Donmar Warehouse, London b.1976, Salford In 2012, Josie Rourke, a British theatre and film director, became the first woman Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse in London. … Continued

  First Woman to lead the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra February 2011, at home in Camden, London b.1968, London Clio Gould, an English violinist and professor, became the first woman at the age of 34 to lead the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, … Continued

  First Woman President of the British Computer Society April 2015, Prior’s Court, Berkshire b.1933, Germany In 1989, Dame Stephanie ‘Steve’ Shirley became the first woman President of the British Computer Society, founded in 1956. She is one of only … Continued

  First Woman to win a title on the European Poker Tour July 2016, Grosvenor Casino, The Victoria, London Victoria Coren Mitchell was the first woman to win a title on the European Poker Tour and the first person of … Continued

    First Woman President of Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) 2008-2009 November 2011, Institution of Civil Engineers, London b. 1948, Dover Dr Jean Venables is a British civil engineer who in 2008 became the 144th President of the Institution … Continued

  First Woman in the world to win and Olympic Boxing Gold Medal (2012) October 2015, Home of Olympic GB Boxing, English Institute of Sport, Sheffield b.1982, Leeds Nicola Adams, The Lioness, is the first woman to win an Olympic … Continued

  First Woman President of Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) May 2011, Royal Institute of British Architects, London b.1956, Winchester British architect Ruth Reed became the fast woman President of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2009 for … Continued

  First Woman to edit a broadsheet newspaper October 2010, at home in Somerset b.1951, Jersey A British journalist, Rosie Boycott became the first woman in history to edit a broadsheet newspaper when she took over at the helm of … Continued

  First Woman (UK) to reach the summit of Everest September 2014, Harting Down, West Sussex b.1961, Kent Originally a journalist, Stephens became the first British woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest at the age of 31, in … Continued

  First Woman to achieve 3 Michelin Star status February 2011, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London b. Northern Ireland At the age of 28, Clare Smyth was the first – and only – female chef to date to achieve and maintain … Continued

  First Woman to win the BBC’s ‘One Man and His Dog’ sheepdog trials (1990) October 2015, on the farm, Shap, Cumbria b.1961, Cheshire In 1990, Cropper made television history by winning ‘One Man and His Dog’; sheepdog trials televised … Continued

  First Woman to win the Man Booker prize for fiction, twice (2009 & 2012) October 2015, at home in Devon b. Derbyshire A British novelist and essayist, Dame Hilary became the first woman to win the Man Booker Prize … Continued

First Woman Director of BBC news April 2011, BBC White City, London b. 1956, Colchester Helen Boaden spent 34 years at the BBC, starting as reporter on local radio and ending up on the executive board. She was the first … Continued

  First Woman to be elected to the full committee of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and to hit a six at Lords July 2013, MCC Member’s Pavilion, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London b.1939, Wolverhampton d.2017 In 2004 Baroness Rachael Heyhoe Flint … Continued

  First Woman to be Lord Justice of Appeal May 2011, House of Lords, London b.1933, Buckinghamshire Baroness Butler-Sloss became Lord Justice of Appeal in 1988, aged 55 – the first woman in 112 years to do so. Until 1994 … Continued

  First Woman to be head of Drama and Comedy at BBC Radio 4 June 2016, at home in Chiswick b. 1958, London Named by The Guardian newspaper as one of the most ‘influential comedy executives of her generation’, Caroline … Continued

  First Woman to be made National Statistician since the introduction of the Statistics and Registration Services Act October 2011, Office For National Statistics, London b.1953, Derby Dame Jil Matheson, a social scientist and statistician since 1975, was appointed National … Continued

  First Woman to set a World Record in the North Pole Marathon (completing the race in under six hours) February 2011, St James’s Park, London b.1973, Macclesfield In 2006, at the age of 33, just 8 years after she … Continued

  First Woman to win The Turner Prize March 2011, in the studio, East London b.1963, Ilford One of the UK’s leading contemporary artists, with over 28 solo international exhibitions, Whiteread’s work features in group exhibitions, commissions, private collections, public … Continued

  First Woman outright winner of a Group One race February 2015, Newmarket Racecourse, Suffolk b.1983, Nottingham Hayley Turner OBE is Britain’s most successful female jockey as the first woman to ever win a Group 1 race outright. In the … Continued

  First Woman to be a Commander of a Brigade of 5000 front line troops August 2016, British Army Land Forces Headquarters, Hampshire b.1970, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Brigadier Nesmith joined the Army at the age of 21 in 1992, the year women … Continued

  First Woman to elected Chair of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) May 2011, BDP offices, Clerkenwell, London b.1963, Northern Ireland In 2009, McDowell became the first woman chair of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) an … Continued

  First Woman to be made President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and First Woman Chair of the General Medical Council June 2015, Royal College of Surgeons, London b.1954, Coventry Dame Clare was elected as President of … Continued

  First Woman to write sitcoms for the BBC March 2016, at home in Liverpool b.1928, Liverpool. d.2016 Carla Lane was a well-loved English television writer. Her first sitcom episode (written with Myra Taylor) aired in 1969 when she was … Continued

  First Woman to ride in the Grand National (1977) June 2010, on the farm, Somerset b.1956, London In 1977 when she was just 21 years old Charlotte Budd (then Charlotte Brew) became the first ever woman to ride in … Continued

  First Woman President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) July 2011, Centre Point, London b.1957, d.2017 A British business woman, Dame Helen was Chief Executive of the Economist Group, successful in steering the magazine to 1 million circulation. … Continued

    First Woman to ski solo across Antarctica December 2012 At home in Kent b.1977, Kent British polar explorer Felicity Aston MBE is an expedition leader and former Antarctic scientist. In 2012, aged 34, she became the first woman … Continued

  First Woman Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons March 2012, The Speaker’s State Rooms, Palace of Westminster, London b.1961, Jamaica Reverend Rose is the 79th Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons and in … Continued