MUMFORD, N.Y. — The 19th century was an era filled with industrialization, imperialism and invention, thus flourishing the growth of scientific discovery.  

“The way that women were raised and treated during the 19th century made them better at science than men and specifically astronomy,” senior director of interpretation Mary Challman said. “The sewing stitches of a little girl and the attention to detail that she is taught to have is much finer and much, much more precise than even the best stitches of a full-grown man.” 

Among these developments, women’s access to education grew significantly. 

“Girls and young women didn't always have the formal education options that boys and young men did,” volunteer Ana Worden said. “Much of sewing, even your basic sewing, requires mathematical skills that are quite similar to what you would use to build a house.” 

Giving the opportunity for women to be both the teacher and learner, one seamstress had created silk globes to teach young students about geography.  

“It's simultaneously humbling and inspiring,” Worden said. “When I get a chance to share stories with a group of girls, young women, and see their interests isolated. I know that they might appreciate their opportunities more and maybe at the same time add to the narrative that we traditionally get in schools.” 

Highlighting many of these women who have paved the way for more astronomical discoveries, Genesee Country Village and Museum offers an opportunity to experience the solar eclipse not only through these modern lenses, but also through the lens of the 19th century. 

Furthering the education outside of the classroom, the observations of the first professional female astronomer in the U.S. remain relevant today.  

“She believed that even though you're limited or you might be limited by where you are, your stance in society, you shouldn't let it stop you from learning and wanting to learn and going after it as much as you can,” historical interpreter Kayleigh Barclay said. 

Leading an expedition in July 1878, Maria Mitchell was one of the most experienced eclipse viewers of her time. Mitchell had experienced her first eclipse, at age 12, reliving the experience 54 years later. 

“You can see them here all in their fancy bustle dresses,” Barclay said. “She learned how to track orbits and track the eclipse path. She believed that all people should have access to natural phenomena and science and really tried to make it accessible to everybody in a time when we did not do that.” 

The all-female-expedition not only was able to bring to the forefront new discoveries about the sun, but also women. 

“There's a lot of people who are in the scientific field that don't necessarily get their due,” Challman said. “She did a number of different studies during total solar eclipses to be able to start to mathematically predict when these eclipses would happen and what that meant for the world, and also to track comets as well. So really bringing a different level of understanding to where we fit in the big wide universe that we all exist in.” 

Proving women were just as capable as men, many women today have found Mitchell's story to inspire future female scientists. They are finding these events to be a shared experience through time and being connected to people from the past in tangible ways. 

“Sharing our stories with each other and sharing the stories of the people of the past in as many different ways as we can, because that's what really provides context to our present and also makes us feel less alone,” Challman said. “I think it connects us to all of us as we exist in this again, this crazy, crazy universe that we all live in.”