Library Company of Philadelphia
Written at the end of the 19th century, Jane Croly’s The History of the Woman’s Club Movement in America describes the women’s clubs that emerged in the 1860s and 1870s. In many cases, the clubs became activist groups on behalf of working women. What stands out most about the book’s cover is the gold-embossed emblem of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. The emblem, which depicts a sun rising over mountains, proclaims “Unity in Diversity”—a message that is particularly poignant now, over a century later.
-Lydia Shaw, Franklin & Marshall Class of 2022
This item and more will be featured in the exhibition Women Get Things Done, opening soon at the Library Company of Philadelphia!
Jane C. Croly, The History of the Woman’s Club Movement in America (New York: H.G. Allen & Co., c1898).
#OnThisDay in 1920, the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, was ratified.
This trade card capitalized on the momentum and popularity of the women’s suffrage movement while continuing to perpetuate Victorian era notions of womanhood and domesticity.
Can you spot the subtle coloring on these daguerreotypes?
1st image: [Portrait of an unidentified woman], ca. 1850. ¼ plate daguerreotype.
2nd image: [Portrait of an unidentified woman], ca. 1850. 1/6 plate daguerreotype.
You didn’t think we would forget about #sharkweek, did you?
This illustration is from a juvenile book published in 1814, though it does not skimp on gruesome details (Can bite you clean in half! Six rows of enormous teeth!)
Also, what it lacks in dorsal fins it makes up with some swoon-worthy block printed wrappers.
The History of fish. (New-York: Samuel Wood, 1814.)
With padded covers of embossed leather, these special edition padded bindings were quite the novelty when the hit the market in the 1880s. Ranging in style from gilt decoration to fake alligator skin, these plush volumes of poetry were both fancy and still affordable.
This cabinet card (1880s) depicts a nurse who likely grew up post-Civil War, in an American culture that newly allowed women to participate in the professional field of nursing. This nurse is pictured in a photo studio with props rather than in the workplace, surrounded by the domesticity of the parlor. She is immaculately dressed and delicately holding un-intimidating medicines. The clearly staged nature of the photograph suggests that while women existed in the professional sphere of healthcare, they were still presented as distinctly feminine and adhering to gender norms.
-Lydia Shaw, Franklin & Marshall Class of 2022
This item and more will be featured in the exhibition Women Get Things Done, opening soon at the Library Company of Philadelphia!
Stuck inside? Maybe it’s time to redecorate!
J.C. Finn & Son trade cards (United States: Chas. W. Frost, ca. 1881). Chromolithograph.
Image depicts a girl applying adhesive to wallpaper strips and sloppily hanging them on the wall.
In her latest Imperfect History blog post, Senior Curator of Graphic Arts Sarah Weatherwax traces the history of women collectors through graphic materials donated to the Library Company, some of which were also created by women. Read more here: https://librarycompany.org/2020/07/22/women-makers-and-care-takers/
Miss Barton, Unidentified landscape, early 19th century. Watercolor.
233 years ago, members of the Constitutional Convention began debating drafts of the proposed constitution for our young nation right here in Philadelphia. Copies of the first draft were printed for those attending the convention, but not widely circulated. The copy in our collection belonged to John Dickinson, and contains his notes and edits documenting the ongoing debates. His signature and the date 7 August 1787 are in the upper left corner.
Want to learn more about Dickinson and his contributions to the US Constitution? We are hosting a seminar this fall, led by Dr. Jane E. Calvert on this very topic! Click here for more info and registration
Just in case you needed another reason to wash your hands…
The vibrant emerald green cloth on these bindings gets its shocking color from copper acetoarsenite, more commonly known as arsenic. The inorganic pigment was also famously used in Victorian era wallpaper.
The bindings seen here, along with others in our collection, were tested by Melissa Tedone, Conservator at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, in December 2019 as part of the Poison Book Project. The sample is comprised largely of green cloth case bindings, but some green paper (upper left) also tested positive. They have since been properly rehoused, along with updated safe handling instructions. Read more about the Poison Book Project here.
Wishing you all a wonderful and nontoxic #greenpublishersbindingThursday!