When: closing January 3, 2021
So I'm really getting ahead of myself with this show on women's suffrage - it's not closing for another year and a half (give or take), so you've got PLENTY of time to go see it.
This was my first trip to see a display at the National Archives. I'm not sure exactly why I haven't gone before; I think I've seen the long lines and thought it would take too long to get in. But I breezed in last Monday; I've spent more time waiting in line at Air and Space, for sure. I'm adding the National Archives to my list of venues, so look for more reviews of their exhibits in future.
I went with a friend of mine, which was great fun. We used to work together, and now that we're no longer at the same firm, we rely largely on email to keep in touch. Seeing her "in person" was marvelous, although I admit I spent a lot of time catching up and chatting, rather than being completely devoted to the show.
It's an excellent survey of the history of women's suffrage in the United States. Eye-rolling predictions of the fall of American civilization if women could vote, and inspiring stories of those who spent their lives working to make voting equality a reality sit side-by-side. My favorite example of the former was a cartoon of a woman off to vote, leaving her (useless) husband with a screaming baby and broken crockery. It's hilarious, until you ponder the fact that many people would have seen this as a real reason not to let women have any say in government.
Many years ago, I was part of a group that put on a display about the Seneca Falls Convention and the history of women's right to vote at the library where I then worked. Many of the images used in the show were familiar to me from that project, and it was fun to see them again and reminisce. I'll say that our recreation of a suffrage banner that we hung in the library's main atrium was pretty impressive.
Verdict: Make some time to see this show - the gallery is on the second floor of the National Archives. A look at the "founding documents" would give you a nice half-day's trip, if you wanted to go beyond a lunchtime visit.
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