Gertrude Bell: Born into Edwardian aristocracy, Gertrude Bell was expected her to marry well and fade into domesticity. At Oxford, Gertrude was the first woman to gain a First in History, but with no job opportunities for women in the field she chose to travel extensively throughout the Middle East, mapping uncharted territories and earning the trust of Bedouin tribes and political leaders alike.

Fluent in Arabic and Persian, Gertrude famously arrived at remote desert meetings in her finest furs and jewels—a power move that commanded respect across cultures. A colleague of Lawrence of Arabia, she became an indispensable WWI political advisor. Gertrude’s unique understanding of the geography and people of the area made her instrumental in defining the borders of modern day Iraq at the end of the war.

Gertrude’s skills in archaeology, languages, map-making, photography and mountain-climbing made her one of the most formidable adventurers of her time.