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Women’s History in Women’s History in Western New YorkWestern New YorkHeidi BamfordHeidi Bamford
DHP Regional ArchivistDHP Regional Archivist
March 16, 2010March 16, 2010
Why Women’s History?Why Women’s History?
To honor and To honor and remember past remember past struggles and struggles and accomplishmentsaccomplishments
To preserve the To preserve the memories of the past memories of the past as guides into the as guides into the future….future….
Role Models and Agents of Role Models and Agents of Change…Change…
Kit KlineLois Gibbs
Mary Talbert Jennie Louise Blanchard Bethune
Ordinary and Everyday….Ordinary and Everyday….
Rosie the Riveter National Park (CA)
The Writing of History…The Writing of History… ……is an ongoing and selective processis an ongoing and selective process ……is socially and culturally time-dependentis socially and culturally time-dependent
The past “selects” certain documentationThe past “selects” certain documentation Survival of some records, not othersSurvival of some records, not others
Personal interests also “select” topicsPersonal interests also “select” topics Women’s history became a topic of Women’s history became a topic of
interest in the 1980sinterest in the 1980s
Uncrowned QueensUncrowned Queens
Madeline Davis LGBT Archives of WNYMadeline Davis LGBT Archives of WNY
Finding Voices and Images Finding Voices and Images of the Pastof the Past
Historical records are Historical records are found in many places found in many places MuseumsMuseums LibrariesLibraries Historical societiesHistorical societies BusinessesBusinesses Professional Professional
associationsassociations Community Community
organizationsorganizations Your home!Your home!
Butler Library, BSC
AKAG
Starting at the Top: The Short Starting at the Top: The Short ListList
Encyclopedia Britannica – – 300 Women Who Changed the World300 Women Who Changed the World
Library of Congress: 7 collectionsLibrary of Congress: 7 collections
PBSPBS (Not For Ourselves Alone) (Not For Ourselves Alone) American Women's History Research: A GuideAmerican Women's History Research: A Guide
Women's Studies Section, Association of College & ResearcWomen's Studies Section, Association of College & Research Libraries, ALAh Libraries, ALA
Harvard Online CollectionsHarvard Online Collections
Local Women in History with Local Women in History with National RecognitionNational Recognition
ZontaZonta International International
National Women's HNational Women's Hall of Fameall of Fame
Prologue: Prologue: BelvaBelva Lockwood Lockwood
NHPRCNHPRC
Lucille Ball
Belva Lockwood
Marian deForest
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=940CEFD9173AE033A25751C1A9659C94699FD7CF
Anna Katherine GreenAKG bio
http://web.library.emory.edu/blog/lucille-clifton-papers-fully-processed-and-available-research
fury for mama
remember this.she is standing bythe furnace .the coalsglisten like rubies.her hand is crying.…
While some women and their accomplishments are well documented. ……
Lucille Clifton
And others are known for And others are known for who they were….who they were….
National First LNational First Ladies' Libraryadies' Library
Genesee ValleyGenesee Valley History History
Documentation about other Documentation about other women is harder to locate….women is harder to locate….
Edith Flanigen: http://www.invent.org/images/images_hof/induction/docs/04induction.doc
Women in Transportation
Maria M. Lovehttp://www.marialovefund.org/history/
Maria Love & the Fitch Creche
Local Reformers Gone Local Reformers Gone South!South!
Harriet Bedell: Grew up Harriet Bedell: Grew up in Buffalo, NY and in Buffalo, NY and became a missionary, became a missionary, first in Oklahoma, then first in Oklahoma, then Alaska and finally, Alaska and finally, Florida.Florida. Her work is well Her work is well
documented, but records documented, but records of her family in Buffalo, or of her family in Buffalo, or the Training School she the Training School she attended in NYC are not in attended in NYC are not in any known repository.any known repository.
Florida Memory siteFlorida Memory site
State and Regional Sources for information State and Regional Sources for information on women in history…on women in history…
New York State ArchivesNew York State Archives
"Word on Women“"Word on Women“
New York Digital CollectiNew York Digital Collectionsons
New York HeritageNew York Heritage
Women in Need of Reform?Women in Need of Reform? Some historical records present a Some historical records present a
close parallel with women and poverty, close parallel with women and poverty, immorality, and delinquency and immorality, and delinquency and disability in the 19disability in the 19thth century…. century….
http://www.archives.nysed.gov/a/research/res_topics_legal_correctihttp://www.archives.nysed.gov/a/research/res_topics_legal_corrections_inst_albion.shtmlons_inst_albion.shtml
http://www.correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/nysarchivesbrowse/nhttp://www.correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/nysarchivesbrowse/nysarchivesbrowse4.htmlysarchivesbrowse4.html
http://www.museumofdisability.org/newyork_map_1900_1950.asphttp://www.museumofdisability.org/newyork_map_1900_1950.asp http://www.letchworthparkhistory.com/wplworks.htmlhttp://www.letchworthparkhistory.com/wplworks.html http://http://www.poorwww.poor housestory.com/history.htmhousestory.com/history.htm
Or, something else?Or, something else?
Women's rights(?) in earlWomen's rights(?) in early New Yorky New York
The 1913 Department StThe 1913 Department Store Worker's Strike in Buore Worker's Strike in Buffalo, NYffalo, NY
A Study of Women A Study of Women Delinquents in New York Delinquents in New York State (1920)State (1920)
http://http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/moa/
Local collections preserve important Local collections preserve important information about notable women who information about notable women who made an impact here and elsewhere…made an impact here and elsewhere…
Cornelia Bentley Cornelia Bentley Sage QuintonSage Quinton
Alice Moore Hubbard
although some materials may not be as readily accessible as others…..
Examples of Local Regional Guides Examples of Local Regional Guides and Organizations:and Organizations:
WNY LegacyWNY Legacy
WNY ArchivistsWNY Archivists
RKN Civic InfrastrRKN Civic Infrastructure Resourcesucture ResourcesBECHS, Crystal Beach
Photo Collection
Jewish Buffalo Archives Project
Prendergast Library
St. Bonaventure University Archives
Genesee County Department of History
Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society
More than Facts and More than Facts and FiguresFigures
Beyond the chronologies, occupational Beyond the chronologies, occupational achievements, or factual listings, achievements, or factual listings, women’s history could be phrased as:women’s history could be phrased as: Uncommon livesUncommon lives What became of them?What became of them? Crisis!Crisis! A case study (company, neighborhood, A case study (company, neighborhood,
organization, ethnic/cultural group)organization, ethnic/cultural group) Political or philanthropic behaviorPolitical or philanthropic behavior Professional/personal shiftsProfessional/personal shifts
Shedding Labels….Shedding Labels…. The "Communist Threat“The "Communist Threat“ (Internet Archive) (Internet Archive)
((Hotel TouraineHotel Touraine))
Lois Gibbs – from mother in crisis to Lois Gibbs – from mother in crisis to environmental advocateenvironmental advocate http://www.chej.org/about_lois.htmhttp://www.chej.org/about_lois.htm
Margaret Goff Clark – from Margaret Goff Clark – from Freedom CrossingFreedom Crossing to to Saving ManateesSaving Manatees http://www.lib.usm.edu/~degrum/html/research/findaidhttp://www.lib.usm.edu/~degrum/html/research/findaid
s/clarkm.htmls/clarkm.html
Letters and Oral HistoriesLetters and Oral Histories What are we being What are we being
told?told? Information the Information the
writer/speaker writer/speaker conveys to the conveys to the reader/listenerreader/listener
Information we can Information we can deduce from our deduce from our current perspective current perspective and knowledgeand knowledge
BECHS World Cat listWomen's Letters & DiariesWorld Cat
Camp Family Papers
Women & Social Movements in the US site
Uncrowned Queens Oral History Project
Diaries & JournalsDiaries & Journals Why are they written?Why are they written?
As personal reflections of a time, As personal reflections of a time, event, placeevent, place
For the writer to put herself into an For the writer to put herself into an historical contexthistorical context
http://ublib.buffalo.edu/archives/ead/http://ublib.buffalo.edu/archives/ead/ms31/ms31.frame.htmlms31/ms31.frame.html
andand Finding Aid for HZM RodgersFinding Aid for HZM Rodgers
Buffalo BPWBuffalo BPW
BECHS Diary CollectionBECHS Diary Collection
MOA Cornell siteMOA Cornell site
Women's Diaries in CanadaWomen's Diaries in Canada
Elizabeth Olmsted Smith
MemoirsMemoirs These are These are
intentionally created intentionally created with a purpose or with a purpose or audience in mindaudience in mind
Usually after-the-factUsually after-the-fact
Best understood in Best understood in the context of the context of corroborative and corroborative and ancillary materialsancillary materials
M. St. John in WNYLegacy
Memoirs in LitMus Club Records – image – image from Uncrowned from Uncrowned Queens siteQueens site
Ways to Promote Ways to Promote Women’s History:Women’s History:
Adopt-a-SchoolAdopt-a-School In-house or sponsored displays, In-house or sponsored displays,
exhibitsexhibits Lectures, discussions, workshopsLectures, discussions, workshops Publications, feature articles, websitesPublications, feature articles, websites Contests (essay, poster)Contests (essay, poster) Community/service awards, Community/service awards,
recognitionsrecognitions Support local repositoriesSupport local repositories
Links to More ResourcesLinks to More Resources
Society of American Archivists Women’s Society of American Archivists Women’s Roundtable:Roundtable: http://www.archivists.org/saagroups/womenscoll/index.asphttp://www.archivists.org/saagroups/womenscoll/index.asp
Center for the Historical Study of Women Center for the Historical Study of Women and Gender:and Gender: http://chswg.binghamton.edu/http://chswg.binghamton.edu/
Project Flight’s Western New York Directory Project Flight’s Western New York Directory of Women’s Organizationsof Women’s Organizations : : http://http://www.projectflight.org/Directoryofwomenorganizations.htmwww.projectflight.org/Directoryofwomenorganizations.htm