The British Antarctic Oral History Project Insights into

The British Antarctic Oral History Project: Insights into Women and Science in Extreme Environments Joanna Rae Archives Service British Antarctic Survey April 2014

Project Overview • Collaboration started 2009 • Capture reminiscences of British scientific endeavour in Antarctica since 1944 • Scope & depth • Outputs – – 238 interviews, 10 women Recordings on audio & film Photographs Detailed synopses & transcripts • Current status • Themes BAS Club Scott Polar Research Institute

Policy – the Role of the Director • Science in an extreme environment – a male preserve • Dr David Drewry, Director of BAS 1987 -1994 • His attitude to the employment of women in roles involving fieldwork led to major changes Some firsts for women at BAS: • 1983/84 ship-based geology • 1986 head of science department • 1986/87 summer at research station • 1987/88 tent-based deep fieldwork • 1993 winter at research station • 1998 base commander

An Archivist’s Perspective • Rights – recording agreements, Data Protection issues • Long-term preservation - formats • Access & Use – database, indexing, development of online access • Historical value • the unofficial story • individual memories and insights • underlying and changing attitudes • complexity of the human experience • Limitations – the importance of official records

Scientists rather than Women • Alex Gaffikin, 1999 -2002 • Meteorologist/Physicist • Spent 2 winters at Halley Research Station • Talking about her ozone monitoring work • She had a very positive experience and speaks warmly of her male and female colleagues

Concluding Remarks • BAOHP offers a new resource for studying the experiences of women scientists in the 20 th Century • Particularly strong in exploring changing attitudes to women’s roles in extreme environments, the processes of change, views of male colleagues & policy makers • A 2 nd collecting phase would be needed to adequately capture the experiences of the pioneer female scietists of the 1980 s-1990 s and the massif steps made towards equality in the last 10 years • Women still face challenges working in polar research e. g. senior roles but. . . • BAS appointed its 1 st woman director in 2013 • Working towards bronze Athena Swan Charter

Contact details: Archives Service British Antarctic Survey High Cross, Madingley Road Cambridge CB 3 0 ET Email: basarchives@bas. ac. uk Web: http: //www. antarctica. ac. uk/oralhistory

Women winterers – Vicky Auld • 1997 and 1998 Halley Met. Physicist (1998 Winter BC) • 2004 -2008 BC at King Edward Point, Bird Island, Rothera (station support manager), Halley • Firsts for women in BAS: 1983/84 on marine cruise 1986/87 on base over summer 1993 wintering in Antarctic

BAS Archives Service • Archives Service since 1979, 2 staff • Place of deposit, public authority, users • Our records – Science, logistics, policy & strategy, heritage – All formats – 90% from within BAS, 10% external gifts – 2 stores rooms, 2. 7 Tb digital data storage • Sound recordings – Quantity - roughly 10% of our holdings – Content - data, oral history, talks, sounds – Formats - open reel, cassette, CD, DAT, wav • Access – Cataloguing with Modes, limited web access – Digitisation

British Antarctic Survey • Undertake world-leading, interdisciplinary research in the polar regions • Provide leadership role in Antarctic affairs • Origins - 1943 - Operation Tabarin • Natural Environment Research Council • Funded from central Government via BIS and by competitive grants • About 450 staff, Cambridge building, 6 research stations, 2 ships, 5 aircraft