Annie Maunder’s opportunities on eclipse expeditions were very different to those of the many other women taking part in late Victorian amateur expeditions, given her educational/occupational background and her husband’s position in the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS). Her 1898 photograph of the coronal extensions was exhibited at the Royal Society (RS) and she later published her 1901 observations with the RS and RAS. Focusing first on the 1898 photograph, I will provide additional context on the practices that made this possible, and the significance of the photograph. Maunder disregarded recommended exposure times, adapted her camera purchased for milky way observations and experimented with a new type of photographic plate. Following the success of this set up, official British and American expeditions altered their photographic practices, which demonstrates the continued fluidity of practices across communities in this period. 

Expeditions functioned as key events through which Annie could gain recognition within and impact elite scientific spaces. However, Annie framed her successes as a result of her outsider position – she was not responsible to any institution and could afford to take a risk. I will argue that her expeditions very deliberately followed the model she laid out for how women should raise their status within science. With the rise of what Joshua Nall has termed “event astronomy”, I will explore how Maunder capitalised on the coverage of eclipse expeditions to promote an image of astronomy where women and amateurs were welcome and necessary contributors.