A NEW exhibition celebrating the lives of Salisbury's women past and present has opened.

Her Salisbury Story, at the Salisbury Museum, The Close, is inspired by the Her Salisbury Story project and website, which aims to bring Salisbury’s heritage alive through the exploration of women’s narratives, celebrating the lives of the city’s women.

The aim is to ‘write in’ women’s experiences of Salisbury, ensuring women’s contributions are seen and valued as intrinsic to the city and its development.

The project was started in 2020 by the Soroptimist International of Salisbury – an organisation that aims to transform the lives of women through education, empowerment and enabling opportunities

The criteria for inclusion in the project is that each of the women will have been born or lived in Salisbury and its environs and/or have made a significant contribution to Salisbury or the wider community.

These contributions include social, political, cultural, and economic.

The exhibition explores a selection of the women’s stories, some of which can be found on the Her Salisbury Story website.

These include the fascinating stories of Anne Bodenham, tried and executed for being a witch in 1653; journalist Dorothy Lawrence, the only women to go to the western front in the First World War, disguised as a man; Elihonor Sadler, a ‘trulie virtuous and religious’ philanthropist who’s devout and charitable life is marked by a memorial in Salisbury Cathedral; Lady Jo Benson, voted in The Salisbury Journal as the woman who has contributed most to life in the city; society hostess and Mayor of Wilton, Edith Olivier; fashion designer Georgina von Etzdorf; stonemason Robyn Golden-Hann; Tracy Daszkiewicz, whose courage and professionalism prevented the tragic Novichok incidents of 2018 from becoming a much greater disaster; an inn-keeper, cutler, painters, nurses, business women and more.

With objects largely drawn from the museum’s collection, this exhibition will be a must-see for anyone interested in women’s histories, local history, and the development of the city of Salisbury.

Her Salisbury Story has published the stories of 80 women on their website, organised a successful writing competition in partnership with author Cornelia Funke, developed Her Salisbury Footprint, a heritage trail and tourist map.

They are also working with the Civic Society to increase the number of blue plaques celebrating women. Team members are currently offering guided walks and talks to local organisations.