The German ornithologist Emilia Snethlage (1868-1929) spent her scientific career in Brazil, working at the Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi in the state of Pará and at the Museu Nacional in Rio de Janeiro. One of the highlights of her scientific work was her catalog of Amazonian birds, published in 1914. Another was her travels by foot through the unknown regions between the Xingu and Tapajós rivers in 1909, accompanied solely by Indian guides. To date, the historiography of the sciences in Brazil has provided few examples of female engagement in the field of the natural sciences prior to establishment of universities in the 1930s. Conjoining issues in women's history with the study of the roles played by this female scientist in institutional and social networks, this analysis of Emília Snethlage's career can help us better understand little explored fields of historiography.
Emilia Snethlage (1868-1929); women scientists; natural sciences; museums