Athena Swan

Event Items

Gertrude Bell and the 'Woman Question'

Public lecture by Helen Berry, Professor of British History at Newcastle University

Date/Time: Tuesday, 23rd February 2016, 17:30 - 18:45

Venue: Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building

Newcastle University holds an extraordinary and unique archive of letters, diaries and photographs belonging to Gertrude Bell, one of the most remarkable women of the 20th century.

A contemporary of T E Lawrence (‘Lawrence of Arabia’), until recently Bell has been little known beyond the specialist world of Middle Eastern archaeology, and yet her legacy is significant: for example, she played a major role in the political settlement that led to the formation of modern-day Iraq.

In conjunction with the launch of a major exhibition about Bell at the Great North Museum: Hancock, this lecture will explore the paradoxes and contradictions in Gertrude Bell’s life from the perspective of women’s history.

Free admission

No pre-booking required - all seats allocated on a first-come first-serve basis