Dead Old White Men
Mark Honeychurch - 20th July 2026
A few weeks ago I was up in Auckland for the NZ Association of Rationalists and Humanists’ AGM, and as soon as I walked into their building, Rationalist House on Symonds Street, I noticed that something was different. The picture of Ernst Haeckel hanging on the wall in front of me, as I walked into the main room on the ground floor, had a new info card that had been added to it, declaring the image part of a series on “Dead Old White Men”.
Although this card was relatively tame, simply stating “Biologist and biological illustrator, devotee of Darwin”, other portraits around the building were a lot more tongue-in-cheek:
For those who can’t turn their head easily, that last one says:
**Dead Old White Man Series
Antony Flew**
Spent decades defending Atheism then changed his mind - irritating almost everyone.
I found out that these fun, engaging cards, as well as pointing out just how much focus has been given to the men in the rationalist movement to the exclusion of women, also do a good job of telling people a little bit of useful information about each of the men. And, if you’re looking to redress the balance a little, I’d recommend starting by watching this great podcast episode from the UK Humanists about some of those female leading lights of the nascent Humanist/Rationalist movement:
Thanks to Patsy Spicer in Auckland, who made all of these cards and put a smile on my face the minute I walked into Rationalist House. I’m not sure whether the NZARH needs to start framing pictures of important rationalist women, like Ngaire McCarthy, or whether it’s better to leave it how it is, as a reminder of how we still have a long way to go before our lofty ideals become reality - even in our own house.