Thereza Dillwyn Llewelyn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thereza Mary Dillwyn Llewelyn
|
|
|---|---|
Thereza Mary Dillwyn Llewelyn photographed by her father, John Dillwyn Llewelyn, in the 1850s.
|
|
| Born |
Thereza Mary Dillwyn Llewelyn
1834 |
| Died | 21 February 1926 |
| Spouse(s) | Nevil Story Maskelyne |
| Children | Mary Story Maskelyne, Thereza Story Maskelyne |
| Parent(s) | John Dillwyn Llewelyn, Emma Thomasina Llewelyn (née Talbot) |
Thereza Dillwyn Llewelyn (born 1834, died 1926) was a clever Welsh astronomer and a leader in taking scientific photos. She helped make photography a tool for science.
Contents
About Thereza Dillwyn Llewelyn
Thereza was the oldest of six children. She was born in 1834 at Penllergare House in Wales. Her parents were John Dillwyn Llewelyn, a photographer and plant expert, and Emma Thomasina Talbot.
Her family was very involved in science and photography. Her mother's cousin was Henry Fox Talbot, a famous photographer. Her aunt, Mary Dillwyn, was one of the first women photographers in Wales.
Thereza became very interested in photography and astronomy. These were unusual hobbies for women during the Victorian era. Her cousins included the writer Amy Dillwyn and the butterfly expert Mary De la Beche Nicholl.
Thereza's Family Life
On June 29, 1858, Thereza married Nevil Story Maskelyne. He was a professor of rocks and minerals at Oxford University. Through him, she started writing letters to the famous scientist Charles Darwin.
Thereza and Nevil had two daughters. Their daughter Mary later married a politician named H. O. Arnold-Forster. Their other daughter, also named Thereza, married a physicist named Arthur William Rucker. This younger Thereza was known for teaching about home skills.
Scientific Work and Photography
Thereza loved astronomy. For her 16th birthday, her father built a special building called an observatory for her. It was built at Penllergare Valley Woods.
Building the Observatory
Building the observatory was a family project. Thereza wrote about it in a letter to her father in 1851: "I laid the first stone of the observatory today, July 7th. My grandparents came to see it. We all walked in a line to the spot. After I laid the first stone, my younger sisters, Emma and Elinor, laid the next two."
Photographing the Moon and Snow
Thereza worked with her father on many astrophotography projects. They took some of the very first photos of the moon in the mid-1850s. She remembered that "moonlight needed a long time to photograph. It was my job to keep the telescope moving steadily." This was because the telescope did not have an automatic tracking system.
They also found a way to take pictures of snow crystals.
Weather Observations
Thereza and her father also worked together on weather studies. They helped keep track of weather records for the British Science Association. Thereza managed the weather information. She wanted to share her findings at a meeting of the Association. However, her father did not let her attend the meeting.
Unique Photography Styles
Around 1854, Thereza's father took a photo of her. This photo had a special border made from ferns. This was different from the usual borders made of lace or paint. Thereza used this same fern border style for at least one photo of her sister, Elinor.
Besides photography, Thereza collected plants for a herbarium. She also wrote a report that was read at the Linnean Society in 1857.
Thereza might have seen Comet Donati in 1858. This was before the Italian astronomer Giovanni Battista Donati officially announced it.
After she married Nevil Story-Maskelyne, they worked together on chemistry and photography experiments.
In 1874, Thereza wrote to Charles Darwin in the science magazine Nature. She shared her observations about birds biting flowers to eat nectar.
Legacy and Archives
In 2012, the British Library bought a collection of photos and papers from the Dillwyn Llewelyn and Story Maskelyne families. This collection includes some of Thereza's journals, memories, and photographs.
See also
In Spanish: Thereza Dillwyn Llewelyn para niños
