First Woman Guide Lecturer

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7031, 15 December 1932, Page 2

First Woman Guide Lecturer

Miss M. B, J. Edwards is the first woman guide-lecturer to be appointed by tho trustees of the British Museum and the first guido lecturer of cither sex to be taken on the permanent and pensionable staff of the Civil Service. Coupled with her appointment, the experiment is being initiated of starting weekly lectures by members of the scientific staff. Dr. G. F. Herbert Smith, secretary of the Natural History Museum, said to a representative of the “Observer”: “The selection of Miss Edwards was not made on the ground that a woman was necessarily preferable for such a post, but because she was the best, qualified of the applicants. She has been some months studying the exhibits in the galleries in preparation for the course of lectures which will be given. Normally, she will lecture twice every week-day, at 12 noon and a,t 3 in the afternoon, but she will also take parties of visitors by special arrangement at other times, since we have frequent requests from schools and natural history societies for special instruction for parties of their members. Last year the guidc-lcctuvcr’s tours were attended by some 12,533 members of the public.”