Dame Mary Lucy Cartwright
(1900-1998), MathematicianSitter in 5 portraits
Cartwright was one of five women studying mathematics at St Hugh's College, Oxford, and the first woman to receive a First class honours degree in the subject in 1923. After teaching for several years, she returned to Oxford to do a doctorate and met John Littlewood, an external examiner who would become a lifelong collaborator. Together they researched non-linear differential equations and worked on solutions of the Van der Pol equation, laying the foundations of the chaos and catastrophe theory. Elected to a Yarrow Research Fellowship in 1930, Cartwright was director of studies of mathematics at Girton College, Cambridge within six years. Between 1960 and 1963, she was the president of the London Mathematical Society.
by Walter Stoneman
half-plate glass negative, May 1947
NPG x188708
by Elliott & Fry
bromide print, 1950
NPG x86637
by Walter Stoneman
half-plate glass negative, May 1947
NPG x188709
Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.