Eva Ekeblad

Eva Ekeblad (née De la Gardie; 10 July 1724 – 15 May 1786) was a Swedish agriculturist and salon hostess. She discovered a method to make alcohol and flour from potatoes, significantly reducing Sweden's incidence of famine. She became the first female member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Ekeblad was the first female member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (1748).

Early life Eva Ekeblad (born Eva De la Gardie) was born on 10 July 1724 in Stockholm, Sweden, the daughter of Hedvig Catharina Lillie and Count Magnus Julius De la Gardie, a state marshal and privy councillor. Ekeblad was the tenth of fourteen children. Of her nine older siblings, only two survived childhood. Claes Julius Ekeblad (1742–1808) and Hedda Piper among them. She was on friendly terms with queen Louisa Ulrika.

Her responsibilities included supervising the estates' bailiffs and presiding over local assemblies in the parishes where the properties were located. She was described as an authoritative manager who intervened in disputes and protected peasants on the estates from abuses by bailiffs, while expecting obedience in return. Stola Manor became known for its orderly management.

She promoted replacing dangerous ingredients such as arsenic in cosmetic powders with potato flour. She is said to have advertised the plant by using its flowers as hair ornaments.

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences In 1748, Ekeblad sent the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences a description of her experiments with potatoes, together with samples of the products she had made.

On 3 December 1748, aged 24, Ekeblad was elected to the Academy, becoming its first female member.