Nellie Ivy Fisher

Nellie Ivy Fisher (1907–1995) was a London-born industrial chemist and researcher who specialized in photographic chemistry and became known for her work in Australia as the first woman to lead a division of Kodak.

Life Nellie Ivy Fisher was born on 15 October 1907 in London, one of six children born to master jeweller Francis Frederick Fisher and his wife, Mary Jane Davis.

Educated at Paddington and Maida Vale High School, Nellie studied chemistry at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London, earning her BSc in 1929. While there, she served as president of the Imperial College Women's Association (1928–1929). She undertook a further year of postgraduate research with Harry Lister Riley, for which she received the Diploma of Imperial College." She worked with the head of research, Neil ‘Blue’ Lewis, synthesising dyes and preparing ‘gelatine colour correction Wratten-type filters and safelight screens’. According to Rae, her contributions were significant. Fisher, Nellie I., and Frances M. Hamer. "A comparison of the absorption spectra of some typical symmetrical cyanine dyes." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A-Mathematical and Physical Sciences 154.883 (1936): 703-723. Fisher, Nellie Ivy, and Frances Mary Hamer. "CCCXXXI.—A general method for the preparation of thiocyanine dyes. Some simple thiocarbocyanines." Journal of the Chemical Society (Resumed) (1930): 2502-2510. Riley, Harry Lister, and Nellie Ivy Fisher. "CCLXII.—The electrolytic dissociation of some metal malonates." Journal of the Chemical Society (Resumed) (1929): 2006-2010.

Selected patents Fisher filed for several patents while she was working for Kodak.

Nellie Ivy Fisher. Improvements in the manufacture of dyestuffs and intermediates therefor. US GB GB413300A; Priority 1933-01-09 • Filed 1933-01-09 • Published 1934-07-09 Nellie Ivy Fisher. Improvements in the manufacture of cyanine and related dyes. US GB GB455710A; Priority 1935-03-21 • Filed 1935-03-21 • Published 1936-10-21