Naval battle between the Spanish and the Dutch (1600) by Anónimo escuela flamencaOriginal Source: Museo Naval. Madrid.
The great tales of exploration around the world are dominated by men. But that's largely because it's men who have been writing these stories. But that's changing as we discover more about the women adventurers who defied convention to travel the world.
Ida Pfeiffer
Austrian Ida Pfeiffer was one of the first female explorers, traveling an estimated 20,000 miles by land and 150,000 miles by sea during her life. Her journeys included two trips around the world between 1846 and 1855, with her journals being translated into seven languages.
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However, she was refused entry to the Royal Geographical Society of London because she was a woman, even though she had traveled more than most of its members. One of her most famous trips was by camel to the majestic pyramids at Giza, as part of an expedition to the Holy Land.
Annie Smith PeckSmithsonian's National Museum of American History
Annie Smith Peck
One of the greatest mountaineers of the 19th century, Annie Smith Peck set records for achieving summits but perhaps was more notorious at the time for doing it while wearing - shock horror - trousers. She sensibly described climbing in a skirt as 'foolish'.
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As well as being a mountaineer, she was also an advocate of women's rights, planting a flag that read 'Votes for Women!' on the summit of Mount Coropuna in Peru in 1909. The north peak of Huascarán was renamed Cumbre Aña Peck in honour of its first climber, such was her legend.
LIFE Photo Collection
Amelia Earhart
One of the first female pilots, Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly above 14,000 feet. But it was her first solo flight across the Atlantic that really captured the world's attention. In 1932 she set off from Newfoundland, Canada, landing 15 hours later in Northern Ireland.
A Parigi l'avitrice Amelia Earhart assiste alle gare aviatorieIstituto Luce Cinecittà
Using her new found fame, Earhart continued to break records and challenge the preconceptions of the day about women's capabilities. However, she tragically disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to be the first female pilot to fly around the world.
Nellie Bly (circa. 1890) by H.J. MyersOriginal Source: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002697740/
Nellie Bly
As well as being a famed investigative journalist who exposed the mistreatment of patients in mental asylums, Nellie Bly also undertook a record-breaking 72-day solo trip around the world, following in the footsteps of the Jules Verne character Phileas Fog.
Board Game Board GameOriginal Source: http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/clba/exb/CLBA_ThePerson/Leisure_entertainment/CLBA959_gameBoard.html
Bly's solo 1888 journey set a record at the time, although it was to be broken shortly afterwards. However, the trip made her famous and cemented her place as a true pioneer. There was even a board game called Round the World with Nellie Bly released in 1890.
LIFE Photo Collection
Isabella Bird
An explorer, writer, photographer, and naturalist, Isabella Bird is renowned as the first woman to be admitted to the Royal Geographical Society in 1892, although this accolade was more than richly deserved.
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Bird traveled extensively for much of her life, including long stays in Australia, Hawaii, Colorado, India, Armenia, and more. In fact, it might be quicker to list the places she didn't visit. Although still planning further travels, she died and was buried in Edinburgh aged 72.
Mary Seacole (1990) by Black Cultural ArchivesBlack Cultural Archives
Mary Seacole
Born in nineteenth-century Jamaica to a Black free woman and a Scottish army officer, Mary Seacole was a nurse and businesswoman who travelled the world. As a healer, she tended to the sick and wounded in Latin America and – most famously – in Crimea during the Crimean War.
Bust of Mary Seacole (1859)The J. Paul Getty Museum
Despite enduring a social status without basic civil rights, Mary Seacole travelled more than most women of the period. Her global travels and observations are collected in the first autobiography written by a Black women, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands.
NASA Blue Marble 2007 East (2017-12-08)NASA
Want to go on your own voyage of discovery?
These women explorers really challenged the contemporary views of women in society, proving that the adventures and feats of incredible bravery were not just for men. You can find more stories about women who challenged the status quo here.
