New Haven Plans Celebration of “90th of the 19th”

Ninety years ago, on Aug. 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting American women the right to vote.  The New Haven Museum and the League of Women Voters of New Haven will celebrate that anniversary with an exhibit and a series of programs at the Museum, 114 Whitney Ave., in September and October.

The exhibition will feature a traveling archive of historical photographs and artifacts from the League of Women Voters of Connecticut, augmented with material from the New Haven Museum and private collections.

The four programs are designed especially for today’s younger women and girls, who may be only dimly aware of the valiant struggles of their foremothers to bring about this essential democratic right for all American women.

Yale library chief research archivist Judith Schiff, a LWV board member, will give an illustrated talk on “New Haven’s Woman Suffrage Heritage” at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11.

The classic film “Iron Jawed Angels,” starring Hillary Swank as Alice Paul, will be shown at 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15, with a reception between showings.  The movie depicts the struggle of individual suffragists in the face of fierce opposition, often from within their own families.
Sally Matson will present her spellbinding dramatic impersonation of suffragist “Susan B. Anthony -- The Invincible!” at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25.

Finally, a look at the contemporary scene will be presented by Anna Greenberg, Senior Vice President of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, Washington DC. . Ms Greenberg is one of the nation’s leading authorities on women’s voting patterns.  Her presentation will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2.
All programs are open to the public free of charge, and will be followed by discussion and refreshments.    

The New Haven Museum is open Tues.- Fri. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.