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Women of 1880s-1920s

The beginning of the twentieth century was a period of dramatic change for women in the West. In the late Victorian period women were constricted by a patriarchal social structure.
But the early twentieth century saw the creation of the Suffragette movement, the catalyst for the rapid social change that occurred over the rest of the century. With career options other than marriage and motherhood opening up to them, women engaged with politics, served in the two world wars, made an impact on the artistic and literary worlds and experienced social and sexual liberation.
Between 1880 and 1910, the number of women employed in the United States increased from 2.6 million to 7.8 million. Women's organizations in towns and cities across the U.S. were working to promote suffrage, better schools, the regulation of child labor, women in unions, and liquor prohibition.
By emphasizing traditional traits, female social reformers created new spaces for themselves in local and then national government even before they had the right to vote.
Stine, Sable, Gilliland, Baston, Snow ready for race
1879
1879
slider-holder
1920
slider-holder
1920
8,528 Media in collection ∙ page 1 of 86
Bathing beach beauty contest, [1920], Eliz. Roache (most beautiful suit)

Bathing beach beauty contest, [1920], Eliz. Roache (most beautiful sui...

Maude by G.P. J. Hood [Jacomb Hood]

Maude by G.P. J. Hood [Jacomb Hood]

Photograph shows Maud Franklin, full-length portrait, standing, facing front, near a doorway.

Edith Bolling (married Woodrow Wilson)

Edith Bolling (married Woodrow Wilson)

Photograph shows half-length portrait of Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, seated, facing right.

Helen Hay

Helen Hay

Photograph shows three-quarter length portrait of poet, writer and philanthropist Helen Julia Hay (Mrs. Helen Payne Whitney), seated in front of door, facing front. She was a daughter of ambassador and statesm... more

Evans, Mrs. George (Mary Handy) grand niece of Mathew Brady. May 2, 1934

Evans, Mrs. George (Mary Handy) grand niece of Mathew Brady. May 2, 19...

Miss Alice Hay

Miss Alice Hay

Photograph shows three-quarter length portrait of Alice Hay (Mrs. James Wolcott Wadsworth), seated in chair, facing front. She was the daughter of ambassador and statesman John Milton Hay.

Dewey, Mrs. Wife of Adm. seated in home presented by public, about 1902

Dewey, Mrs. Wife of Adm. seated in home presented by public, about 190...

Three women on Kearney Street, Chinatown, San Francisco

Three women on Kearney Street, Chinatown, San Francisco

Dressed for the feast, Chinatown, San Francisco

Dressed for the feast, Chinatown, San Francisco

Chinese girl, Chinatown, San Francisco

Chinese girl, Chinatown, San Francisco

The little mandarin, Chinatown, San Francisco

The little mandarin, Chinatown, San Francisco

A slave girl in holiday attire, Chinatown, San Francisco

A slave girl in holiday attire, Chinatown, San Francisco

Stella Club - four women incl. Mme. Bleriot

Stella Club - four women incl. Mme. Bleriot

Bethlehem women

Bethlehem women

Princess Viktoria Margarete, Prussia

Princess Viktoria Margarete, Prussia

Queen Victoria of Spain and Prince of the Austrias

Queen Victoria of Spain and Prince of the Austrias

Princess Ruprecht of Bavaria & Prince Luitpold

Princess Ruprecht of Bavaria & Prince Luitpold

Hope Farm Fair - Mrs. J.W. Gerard

Hope Farm Fair - Mrs. J.W. Gerard

Photo shows Mrs. J.W. Gerard (Mary Daly), wife of lawyer and diplomat James Watson Gerard (1867-1951), who served as U.S. ambassador to Germany from 1913 to 1917. (Source: Flickr Commons project, 2010)

Prinzessin Sophie und Prinz Max von Hohenberg (Kinder des Erzherzogs Franz Ferdinand d'Este)

Prinzessin Sophie und Prinz Max von Hohenberg (Kinder des Erzherzogs F...

Photograph shows Princess Sophie of Hohenberg (1901-1990) and Maximilian, Duke of Hohenberg (1902-1962), children of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1863-1914) of Austria and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg (18... more

King Ludwig of Bavaria & Family

King Ludwig of Bavaria & Family

Kaiserin of Germany

Kaiserin of Germany

Florence Walton

Florence Walton

Crown Princess of Germany, portrait bust

Crown Princess of Germany, portrait bust

Ethel Arnold, cameo portrait, Marceau, N.Y. / Marceau

Ethel Arnold, cameo portrait, Marceau, N.Y. / Marceau

Mrs. Dan. Sickles, portrait bust

Mrs. Dan. Sickles, portrait bust

Clementine of Belgium, round-frame portrait

Clementine of Belgium, round-frame portrait

Marchioness Landsdowne, three-quarters portrait bust

Marchioness Landsdowne, three-quarters portrait bust

Mrs. Frank Aldrich, portrait

Mrs. Frank Aldrich, portrait

Mrs. Jos. Leiter, cameo portrait

Mrs. Jos. Leiter, cameo portrait

Marquise de la Charette, cameo portrait

Marquise de la Charette, cameo portrait

Mrs. J.D. Rockefeller Jr., D.M. Milton and wife, & Mr. J.D. Rockefeller Jr.

Mrs. J.D. Rockefeller Jr., D.M. Milton and wife, & Mr. J.D. Rockefelle...

Mrs. J.D. Rockefeller, seated

Mrs. J.D. Rockefeller, seated

Braslau

Braslau

Photo shows opera singer Sophie Braslau (1902-1935), a contralto who performed with the Metropolitan Opera, New York City. (Source: Flickr Commons project, 2009 and Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia)

Braslau

Braslau

Photo shows opera singer Sophie Braslau (1902-1935), a contralto who performed with the Metropolitan Opera, New York City. (Source: Flickr Commons project, 2009 and Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia)

King and Queen of England, Knight-Whittomme Sutton, Rotary Photo. / Knight-Whittomme Sutton, Rotary

King and Queen of England, Knight-Whittomme Sutton, Rotary Photo. / Kn...

Mine woman, England

Mine woman, England

Walking on Grand St., New York

Walking on Grand St., New York

Franz Ferd. of Austria and Princess Sophie

Franz Ferd. of Austria and Princess Sophie

Mrs. Art. Livermore

Mrs. Art. Livermore

Mme. Nordica, aboard ship

Mme. Nordica, aboard ship

Julia Hoerner and John Berry, aboard ship

Julia Hoerner and John Berry, aboard ship

Tatiana & Anastasia of Russia

Tatiana & Anastasia of Russia

Miss Schumann - Heink, seated, photographer: Hahn Nachf., Dresden-Ferdinand Str. 11 / Hahn Nachf.

Miss Schumann - Heink, seated, photographer: Hahn Nachf., Dresden-Ferd...

Carol of Rumania and wife

Carol of Rumania and wife

Easter Saturday, Union Square

Easter Saturday, Union Square

Easter Parade, dressmaker taking notes

Easter Parade, dressmaker taking notes

Marianna, PA. mine disaster, group waiting

Marianna, PA. mine disaster, group waiting

Kopernak in Japanese Kimono

Kopernak in Japanese Kimono

[Arch] at Yokohama

[Arch] at Yokohama

Helen Kellar

Helen Kellar

Braslau

Braslau

Photo shows opera singer Sophie Braslau (1902-1935), a contralto who performed with the Metropolitan Opera, New York City. (Source: Flickr Commons project, 2009 and Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia)

Braslau

Braslau

Photo shows opera singer Sophie Braslau (1902-1935), a contralto who performed with the Metropolitan Opera, New York City, holding a camera. (Source: Flickr Commons project, 2009 and Jewish Women: A Comprehensi... more

Learning to ski, Quebec

Learning to ski, Quebec

Miss Phila. -- Ruth Malcolmson

Miss Phila. -- Ruth Malcolmson

[Arch] at Yokohama

[Arch] at Yokohama

Berta Mills, White, N.Y. / White

Berta Mills, White, N.Y. / White

Eugene Chafin, wife, and daughter, photo: Schreurs, Chicago / Schreurs

Eugene Chafin, wife, and daughter, photo: Schreurs, Chicago / Schreurs

Walking on Grand St., New York

Walking on Grand St., New York

Virginia Rice

Virginia Rice

Bebe Daniels

Bebe Daniels

Fairbanks & Pickford with Edw. Knobloch

Fairbanks & Pickford with Edw. Knobloch

Lady Auchland

Lady Auchland

Judge Lydia B. Tague

Judge Lydia B. Tague

Shimidzu and bride

Shimidzu and bride

Maria Lageyre

Maria Lageyre

Lady Hermione Lytton

Lady Hermione Lytton

Mrs. Jackson Gouraud

Mrs. Jackson Gouraud

Photo shows American heiress Aimee Crocker (1863-1941) whose third husband was musical author Jackson Gouraud. (Source: Flickr Commons project, 2010)

Legiushka

Legiushka

Leginska & children at Christmas time

Leginska & children at Christmas time

Schaaf

Schaaf

Hidalgo

Hidalgo

Mrs. J. St. C. Chaqueneau

Mrs. J. St. C. Chaqueneau

Mrs. Luther Kountze

Mrs. Luther Kountze

Edith Sigourney

Edith Sigourney

Empress Zita

Empress Zita

Regina Quinn (Hat of Blue & Gray)

Regina Quinn (Hat of Blue & Gray)

Countess Guenther Von Bernstorff

Countess Guenther Von Bernstorff

Frances Reeve

Frances Reeve

Princess Kawananakoa

Princess Kawananakoa

Peggy Mathews [i.e. Matthews]

Peggy Mathews [i.e. Matthews]

Curci

Curci

Lord and Lady Astor

Lord and Lady Astor

Bori in fencing costume

Bori in fencing costume

Janis

Janis

Hedda Hopper

Hedda Hopper

Bianca B. Acker

Bianca B. Acker

Homer in "Armide"

Homer in "Armide"

Frances Perkins

Frances Perkins

St. John's Guild. Ward on floating hospital

St. John's Guild. Ward on floating hospital

Rea

Rea

Jaritza - "Marion"

Jaritza - "Marion"

Sarah Bernhardt

Sarah Bernhardt

Doris Kenyon

Doris Kenyon

Mrs. Genevieve F. Stone, wife of C.U. Stone

Mrs. Genevieve F. Stone, wife of C.U. Stone

Charlotte Boyle (swimmer)

Charlotte Boyle (swimmer)

Ethel M. Colman

Ethel M. Colman

O'Neill

O'Neill

Farrar

Farrar

St. Denis and Shawn

St. Denis and Shawn

Mertinelli, Barrientos

Mertinelli, Barrientos

Library Of Congress

The objects in this archive are from Library of Congress - the nation’s first established cultural institution and the largest library in the world, with millions of items including books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections. The Library provides Congress, the federal government and the American people with a rich, diverse and enduring source of knowledge to inform, inspire and engage them and support their intellectual and creative endeavors.

Disclaimer: A work of the Library of Congress is "a work prepared by an officer or employee" of the federal government "as part of that person's official duties." In general, under section 105 of the Copyright Act, such works are not entitled to domestic copyright protection under U.S. law and are therefore in the public domain. This website is developed as a part of the world's largest public domain archive, PICRYL.com, and not developed or endorsed by the Library of Congress, https://www.picryl.com

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