The first women staff the Training Department of the new University of London, Goldsmiths’ College opening its doors to its first students in September 1905. Image: Goldsmiths Special Collections.

A group of the first women staff for the new Goldsmiths’ College opening in September 1905 were photographed at one of the entrances to the main building.

This looks like the front entrance reserved for women students and their corridor running down the south west side of what is now the Richard Hoggart main building.

They were recruited to teach on the new two year programme to educate and train teachers for Elementary and Secondary schools throughout England and Wales.

Those in the back row from left to right were: Miss Catherine Anne Kemp (Teacher in Cookery and Needlework), Miss Julia Helena Andrew (Gymnastic Instructor), Miss Elizabeth Greene (Lecturer in Mathematics), Miss Elizabeth Hildersley (Lecturer in Drawing), and Miss Nancy Margaret Catty MA (Lecturer in English).

Those in the front row from left to right were: Miss Florence Hornby Birley (Lecturer in Modern Languages), Miss Ethel Howard Spalding (Lecturer in history), Miss Caroline Cassandra Graveson B.A. (Vice-Principal of the Training Department for Women and Lecturer in Method in Education), Miss Florence Emma Strudwick (Lecturer in Science and Natural Science)  and Miss Josephine Laidler M.A. (Lecturer in English).

There were others who were not photographed.

There was the College librarian Edith Nellie Burgess appointed in July 1905.

Miss Margaret Carter was Directress of Music and Miss E Neale was ‘Temporary Assistant to the Cookery Teacher, Miss J. E. Robinson was a lecturer in Cookery  for evening classes and Madame Herring was employed as a swimming teacher during the Summer when required at 10 shillings (50 pence) per day.

According to the minutes of the University Delegacy, which managed Goldsmiths, the salary of Caroline Graveson, Vice Principal for Women was exactly the same for her equivalent Vice Principal for Men, Professor Thomas Raymont M.A. at £500 per annum.

The Bank of England’s Inflation calculator gives this figure the value of £51,580.79 in December 2024.

Here are all the salaries of the first women staff at Goldsmiths’ College in September 1905 as set out in the Delegacy report for 1905-6with their 2024 equivalent in brackets afterwards.

You can find how they compare with their male colleagues by visiting the posting on the First Men Staff.

The Delegacy minutes for 1905-6 indicate the women were paid the same level of salaries with any significant differences explained by varying levels of prior experience, age, and academic qualifications.

However, where the personnel records of individual staff have survived, there are inconsistencies. For example, Caroline Graveson’s starting salary is recorded at £530 (£54,675.63) when the starting salary for her fellow Vice Principal Thomas Raymont is set at £600 (£61,896.94) a difference of £70 (£7,221.31).

Miss E.H Spalding, Lecturer Training Department

£250 (£25,790.39)

Miss F. H. Birley, Lecturer Training Department

£200 (£20,632.31)

Miss F Strudwick, Lecturer Training Department and Temporary Lecturer in Botany

£200 (£20,632.31) Paid a further £15 for Evening Classes (£1,547.42)

Miss E Hildersley, Lecturer Training Department

£200 (£20,632.31)

Miss N Catty, Lecturer Training Department

£175 (£18,053.28)

Miss E Greene, Lecturer Training Department

£175 (£18,053.28)

Miss J Laidler, Lecturer Training Department

£150 (£15,474.24)

Miss M Carter, Directress of Music

£100 (£10,316.16)

Miss J H Andrew, Gymnastic Instructor

£ 75 (£7,737.12)

Miss C A Kemp, Cookery and Needlework Teacher

£ 75 (£7,737.12)

Miss E Neale, Temporary Assistant to Cookery and Needlework Teacher

15 shillings per week (£77.37)

Miss J E Robinson, Lecturer in Cookery (Evening)

£90 (£9,284.54)

Madame Herring, Teacher (Swimming- Summer)

10 shillings per day when required (£51.58)

Miss Edith Nellie Burgess, College Librarian

£100 (£10,316.16)

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There are few photographs of Goldsmiths’ first lecturers ‘in action’ as it were in the class-room. This may have been because the staging and setting up of the plate glass camera by Mr Wilkinson would have disrupted a busy timetable.

Early photography needed people to be still for a short while. But the College photographer did succeed in capturing a portfolio of Miss Julia Andrew instructing women students in gymnastics. While they are not specifically dated, the images certainly appear Edwardian and before the First World War.

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[This posting is still under construction. Thank you for your patience]

Many thanks to the staff of Special Collections and Archives at Goldsmiths, University of London including Dr Alexander Du Toit, and staff alumni Pat Loughrey, Ian Pleace and Lesley Ruthven.

The Goldsmiths History Project contributes to the research and writing of the forthcoming That’s So Goldsmiths: A History of Goldsmiths, University of London by Professor Tim Crook.