Procter became the first woman ever to hold the position of Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians at London Zoo, breaking a significant gender barrier.
Joan Procter's appointment in 1923 as Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians made her the first woman to ever hold this position at the London Zoo, one of the most prestigious zoological institutions in the world. This achievement stands as a landmark moment in the history of women in science and museum curation, occurring at a time when women were routinely barred from senior scientific and administrative roles in major institutions.
Her appointment challenged deep-seated assumptions about women's capabilities in fields dominated by men, particularly in the physically demanding and sometimes dangerous work of handling venomous snakes, large lizards, and other reptiles. Procter approached her work with fearless expertise; she was famously known for handling large reptiles, including a Komodo dragon, with remarkable skill and confidence, further cementing her reputation and defying contemporary expectations of what women could achieve in the natural sciences.
Beyond her personal accomplishment, her role as the first female curator of this kind opened pathways for future generations of women pursuing careers in zoology, museum science, and animal curation. She used her platform to conduct pioneering research on reptile behavior and physiology, publish extensively, and design the Zoo's celebrated Reptile House, which opened in 1927. Her legacy endures as an emblem of how individual brilliance and perseverance could dismantle institutional barriers, inspiring later generations of women scientists and curators worldwide.