Florence Nightingale, a statistician? Marie Curie, driving to the front during World War I to X-ray wounded soldiers?

Yes, and yes.

Many such tantalizing and little-known details are part of an exhibition about the lives of 32 women who made major contributions in physics, chemistry, astronomy, mathematics, computing and medicine, from the 17th century through the 20th. Some of the women are famous, many not. Nine won Nobel Prizes.

The exhibition celebrates their accomplishments, and makes it plain that they are all the more extraordinary given the deeply entrenched biases they had to overcome. There were parents who thought it improper or wasteful to educate girls; universities and professional societies that would not admit women; employers who either would not hire them or would not pay a fair wage. But there were also mentors and champions who opened doors and gave credit where it was due.

The exhibition was about three years in the making, the work of three scholars of science history who collect books, manuscripts and research memorabilia: Ronald K. Smeltzer, a retired electrical engineer; Paulette Rose, a dealer in rare books; and Robert J. Ruben, a professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.