An interesting article about the life of Lucy Evelyn Cheeseman, London Zoo's first female curator of their Insect House. Lucy Evelyn Cheesman: the woman who walked Cheesman became the Assistant Curator of Insects at ZSL London Zoo in 1917, and in 1920 was made the first female Insect House Curator. At the time, the Insect House was dilapidated and almost empty of live specimens. Evelyn acquired a new stock of insects using a billycan and net, and invited children near and far to contribute. She was also able to acquire some exotic species from Covent Garden fruiterers who sometimes found spiders lurking in their bananas. Filled with newly bred butterflies and native British fauna, the Insect House thrived under her care.
Somewhat randomly, the founder of pest-control company Rentokil was the previous curator of the Insect House: The history of Harold Maxwell-Lefroy | Rentokil Imperial College appointed Maxwell-Lefroy as their first Professor of Entomology in 1912. The following year he was given the honorary position of curator of the insect house at London Zoo and appointed Entomologist to the Royal Horticultural Society at Wisley in Surrey.
Lucy Cheesman was cool! Her life story would make a good movie. She was like a real life Indiana Jones. I love the anecdote about her freeing herself from a Nephilia web with a nail file.
