The stuff of translation and independent female scientific authorship: the case of "Taxidermy..." anon. (1820)

The anonymous Taxidermy: or the Art of Collecting, Preparing and Mounting Objects of Natural History. For the Use of Museums and Travellers was first published by Longman in 1820. Due to its immediate success as an authority, it went through four revised reprints in 1821, 1823, 1829 and 1835 (still anonymously), before a much expanded sixth edition appeared in 1843. This included an “advertisement” for the first time, unequivocally to establish the author as Mrs R. Lee (1791-1856). [... ...] Historical and sociological research very convincingly explains the presence (or absence) of women in science in the early-to-mid nineteenth century through the many exclusions and obstacles that they faced. [... ...] By framing women’s knowledge in science within the discourses of socio-political exclusion and exception, historical and sociological research (in all periods) too frequently overlooks women’s multi-lingual proficiency, and this as the vehicle allowing them direct access to primary spaces for their own independent contributions