Rowena Willard-Wright

Doctoral student & curator - all views are my own.

[Andrew Locking @andrewswalks]

Light after rain at the head of Buttermere today

[Rowena Willard-Wright @TheStuffCurator]

@London_W4

[Rowena Willard-Wright @TheStuffCurator]

@London_W4 Whistler

[Rowena Willard-Wright @TheStuffCurator]

Removing myself from X after Musk’s deliberate stirring up unrest in UK politics - I’m on threads.

[Rowena Willard-Wright @TheStuffCurator]

Local pubs
Shopping streets and cafes
Town markets
community events for the majority
TV everyone watches/ talks about
Local policing
Youth clubs
Libraries

Still exist but vanishing - take them away and your community is your phone - easily manipulated from the outside.

[Lily Craven @TheAttagirls]

Woman of the Day Joan Beauchamp Procter born OTD 1897 in London, the first woman Curator of Reptiles at London Zoo, an expert at handling large pythons and crocodiles, and co-designer of the world’s first building for keeping reptiles. About half of the world’s population is thought to fear snakes. If you are one, Joan’s ideal pet would be your worst nightmare.

Her interest in reptiles and amphibians began early. As a ten year old, she kept several snakes and lizards as pets. Her favourite, a Dalmatian lizard, perched on the table next to her at mealtimes. At 16, she caused conniptions in a maths lesson by bringing a young crocodile to school.

Joan suffered lifelong chronic intestinal illness from childhood and the impact on her education meant giving up on her plans to go to Cambridge University. Instead, she started corresponding with George Boulenger, keeper of reptiles and fishes at what is now the Natural History Museum in London. Aged 19, she became his unpaid assistant and the same year, she presented her first scientific paper to the Zoological Society of London. The Society was so impressed that they asked her to help design their aquarium and the following year, in 1917, Joan was elected as a Fellow.

When Boulenger retired in 1920, Joan was entrusted with sole charge of the reptiles at the museum and initially received a small stipend until 1923 when she was hired as London Zoo’s curator of reptiles.

She didn’t hang about. Using her knowledge of reptiles, Joan helped to design the Reptile House which opened in 1927. Her ideas were revolutionary: different heat zones in the various enclosures, dimmed lights in some to reduce stress in their inhabitants, special glass that didn’t filter out UVB so the reptiles could synthesize vitamin D.

By this time, her own collection of pets had expanded beyond the reptiles and snakes in glass enclosures in her drawing room and included a pet chimpanzee, Johnnie. Nothing fazed her. At Whipsnade Zoo, she captured a brown bear that had escaped its enclosure, by enticing it with honey and shutting it in a lavatory.

Joan’s patient handling of reptiles, carefully and slowly, was quite deliberate. She believed that they could be socialised so that when they required veterinary treatment, they’d be more receptive. Her approach paid off. She was able to identify many previously unstudied diseases. Even very large and dangerous creatures seemed to trust her. One was a Komodo dragon named Sumbawa.

Sumbawa, one of the first two Komodo dragons to be imported into Europe, arrived at London Zoo in 1928 with a troublesome mouth infection. This presented something of a challenge to the Zoo’s vets. Komodo dragons have triangular, carved teeth with a serrated edge similar to a steak knife. In fact, their teeth are coated in iron and perfectly adapted to cutting their prey into ribbons. No one messes with a Komodo’s mouth with impunity.

Joan would take Sumbawa around the Zoo on a leash (she steered him by touching his tail) and because she was his primary carer - she fed him pigeons, chickens and eggs by hand while she stroked him - he accepted antibiotics and allowed her to open his mouth while she used special equipment of her own design to carry out a range of veterinary procedures, many of which hadn't been attempted before.

"They could no doubt kill one if they wished, or give a terrible bite [but they are] “as tame as dogs and even seem to show affection.”

In 1931, Joan was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Chicago in recognition of her achievements, making her Doctor Procter.

Joan’s recurring poor health - she had several operations and offered her resignation but the Zoo refused to accept it - meant that in time, she had to use an electric wheelchair to get around the grounds of London Zoo. She was often accompanied by Sumbawa on his leash.

Joan died from cancer in 1931, aged 34.

[Rowena Willard-Wright @TheStuffCurator]

@RoryStewartUK Afghanistan

[Rowena Willard-Wright @TheStuffCurator]

@arthistorynews For a second I thought it was custard….. might be ok?!

[Rowena Willard-Wright @TheStuffCurator]

@RembrandtsRoom Arrrrrrgh

[John Simpson @JohnSimpsonNews]

Interesting Daily Mail investigation into the far-right demos in Southport indicates Russian links behind the misinformation. https://t.co/Po732lpdv0

[Gyll King Post Skip Diplomacy @GyllKing]

Racist thugs who went to Southport to get their country back kicked in the doors of Chanaka Balasuryla's minimart & stole over £10K of stock. Local salon owner Rose Tucker has raised £10.5K from 500 donors as the stock isn't covered by insurance.

That's OUR country.

[Paul Brand @PaulBrandITV]

Merseyside Police have confirmed:

- 22 officers injured
- includes fractures, a broken nose and one was knocked unconscious
- Members of the public had cars set on fire
- Bricks and fireworks thrown at mosque
- Three police dogs injured, one badly burnt, two others hit by bricks

[Rowena Willard-Wright @TheStuffCurator]

Like scene out of Shamless

[Farrukh @implausibleblog]

"I really want you to focus on the fact that there are children today, alive, because of what you did yesterday"

Keir Starmer thanks the emergency service workers who responded to the Southport stabbings

Thank you to all of our emergency service workers 🙏

[Dr Mark Purcell @CamLibResearch]

A hope this is a factual quote, but it is certainly a good one.

[CatherineRosamundLowe @CathyRLowe]

Now for the pièce de résistance of the monumental fare spread out for the church crawler's delectation, in All Saints', Spelsbury.

A remarkable composition! A double urn tableau with perspective, viewed through an oval aperture created by a co-operative & flexible ouroboros.

[Rowena Willard-Wright @TheStuffCurator]

@MadameGilflurt She was such a style icon

[Rowena Willard-Wright @TheStuffCurator]

@ElonMNews A