Things I like: suffragettes, war workers, factory girls, socialites who got stuff done, ladies who ruled countries, and women who changed the world, even if it was just a little bit. Click on photos for sources.
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via Shorpy
Washington, D.C., 1919. “Frances Gulick, Y.M.C.A. girl.” Frances, a Y.M.C.A. welfare worker attached to the First Engineers in Europe, was awarded a citation for valor and courage during the aerial bombardment of Varmaise, France, where she operated a canteen. Harris & Ewing glass negative.
Girl Scouts picnic at home of Mrs. Herbert Hoover, 1918
and Lou Hoover put them right to work!
At this time, Herbert Hoover was serving as the head of the US Food Administration, a WWI agency involved in the rationing of food for all allied troops. Gardening was an important element in augmenting the American food supply so that more food could be sent overseas.
Lou Hoover was an advocate of Girl Scouting and later served as the national president of the Girl Scouts of the USA. A year after this photo was taken, she was honored by King Albert I for her efforts in Belgian war relief.
Women munition workers urge President to support suffrage bill. Six women war workers, representing thousands of others, were delegated to see President Wilson and urge him to support the motion for an immediate passage of the federal suffrage amendment. These women were employed at Bethlehem Steel Company’s plant at Newcastle, Pennsylvania. They supplemented their argument with the statement that the women are serving the government in war industries and feel the urgent need of federal enfranchisement. From left to right: Miss Mary Gonzon, Mrs. Florence B. Hilles, Miss Lulu Patterson, Mrs. Marie McKensie, Miss Aida Walling and Mrs. Catherine Boyle. 05/24/1918
(via todaysdocument)
Women collecting books at the Chicago Public Library for US soldiers, 1917.
Chicago Daily News photograph
Autographed photos of World War I nurses from Ethel Anderson’s scrapbook (via NYPL)
Free Milk for France Parade, Washington D.C., 1918
Images via the Library of Congress
Free Milk for France was a response to the agricultural devastation created by World War I. Founded by a small group of New York women, branches were eventually created in 38 states by locally prominent women.
Free Milk for France shipped powdered milk to France where it was distributed by the government and government authorized facilities to children, the elderly, the sick, and nursing/pregnant women. The US government contributed $9,623.87 ($143,363.16 in today’s money) collected in fines from war profiteers.
Sister Gaume, Sister Superior of an orphanage in the Belleville quarter of Paris wrote on receiving the milk:
This precious milk is used for the orphans, for tired or old sisters, for young mothers who nurse their babies, for quite small children, for the tubercular, for the convalescent, for the people who are left destitute by the war and hide their misery… Your splendid gift is thus very much appreciated. It is very useful and we will never forget it.
From The Independent:
Florence Patterson, as she was then, was one of those who stepped in to fill the breach, volunteering for the Women’s Royal Air Force (WRAF). Though it was created just months before the end of the war, the WRAF counted 25,000 women in its ranks by the end of the conflict…
Florence’s story came to light in 2009, after a local newspaper story about her great longevity. The article was spotted by Andrew Holmes, a British researcher who tracks and verifies reports of so-called “supercentenarians” – people who live well beyond 100. He tracked down her service record at the National Archives, and she was subsequently recognised as a veteran of the war. At that time there were thought to be three other surviving veterans; she outlived them all.
To celebrate her 110th birthday, last February, the catering staff at RAF Marham baked her a special cake which was presented to her by officers who had travelled to see her at her daughter’s home in Kings Lynn.
Florence died in her sleep on Saturday. Although she saw no action, she was the last living veteran of World War I.
Moina Michael (1869-1944) left her teaching position at the University of Georgia when the US entered World War I to volunteer with the YWCA. After the war, she returned to the University of Georgia where she taught a class ofdisabled veterans. Inspired by Canadian John McCrea’s poem In Flanders Fields, Moina decided to sell silk poppies to raise funds for disabled veterans. In 1921, red poppies were adopted by American, Australian, British, Canadian, and New Zealand organizations to remember the Great War and raise funds for disabled veterans.
Today poppies are sold every November by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (US), the Royal Canadian Legion, the Royal British Legion, PoppyScotland, Returned and Services League of Australia. They are also sold in April by the Royal NZ Returned and Service League Association.
Oakland, CA April 26, 1939 - Lee Ya-Ching arrives at the Oakland Airport aboard her red and yellow “Spirit of New China” plane on her campaign to...
Maria Antonia of Naples and Sicily, Princess of Asturias. She was one of the daughters of Maria Carolina, and was likely named for her mother’s...
Obit of the Day: End the Beguines*
When Marcella Pattyn died on April 14, 2013 she took 800 years of history with her. Ms. Pattyn was a Beguine. A creation of the Middle Ages, beguines were lay women who formed communities that allowed them independence, both socially and economically.
Dr. Khalil Muhammad and the staff of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture are deeply saddened by the passing of...
