For decades, there was a ceiling not of glass but of ice, for women in science – the continent of Antarctica.
The heroic tradition of polar exploration conducted solely by men meant that Antarctica itself was often thought of as a woman to be conquered.
US Navy Admiral Richard Byrd described it as “an enchanted continent in the sky, pale like a sleeping princess”.
Women were not permitted a role in this age of adventure. But not for lack of trying.
Mary Halton 