After being recalled to England in 1922 Winifred finished her schooling and went to University College, London in 1924 to study botany, chemistry, mathematics and physics.

‘At the end of the first year, I won a University of London Scholarship that I am still quite proud of because there was only one scholarship in botany and it was an open, competitive exam, and it gave me 80 pounds So it almost paid my fees for the second year…’

She graduated in 1927 with a BSc and won a gold medal, scholarships and prizes after which she enrolled for an honours degree in Botany which she completed in 1928 and stayed on as an Honorary Demonstrator which gave valuable teaching experience.

‘You didn’t get paid but you had the honour of demonstrating. Quite fun, good experience.’ …’I entered a …competitive examination for a job at the British Museum and I topped the list and I didn’t get the job. The man who got the job failed in his essays paper but he was a man.’

graduation portrait
Winifred's graduation portrait 1927

 

botany exercise book botany exercise book
Drawing from Winifred Curtis's botany exercise book - enlarge

University of London

University of London

University of London

University of London
Winifred Curtis's set of postcards of the University of London from the time she was a student there.