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