DCHPN

This poignant musical is based on the early lives of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, from their courtship to Eleanor's emerging role as a catalyst for change. 

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Historical Society Discount- all members may receive discounted tickets at $25 per person for any performance. Call the box office and say "Historical Society Member".

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For group information contact Roger Ricker at rer764@gmail.com

For individual tickets call the Media Theatre at 610-891-0100 or visit mediatheatre.org

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Professional Cast, with a live orchestra

The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which granted women the right to vote—although many voting struggles persisted for minority groups. The long road to women’s suffrage, spanning the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, played out very differently from political movements today. In the absence of televised and digital media, the suffragists spread their message through magazines, political cartoons, posters, plays, parades, and even through fashion. This exhibition will examine the visual culture of the suffrage movement, revealing how the “look” of women’s rights developed along with the important visual strategies that propelled the campaign.​

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Votes for Women: A Visual History will include drawings, illustrations, and posters from museums, historical societies, and private collections that visualize the complex political messages conveyed by suffragists. Also included will be historic photographs of marches, rallies, and the celebrated procession in Washington DC held in March of 1913. Examples of the costumes, clothing, sashes, and other emblems of women’s activism worn by suffragists will enliven the presentation, drawing comparisons between the representations and realities of women’s struggle to win the vote.

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The exhibition will present a more inclusive historical narrative, recognizing the efforts of women of color and their community networks, which have been largely overlooked. The visual lessons of the suffrage movement provided a model for later activism, including the civil rights and social justice movements up to the present day, making this not just a centennial commemoration, but a window into contemporary discourse.

Learn about African American abolitionist and suffragist Harriet Forten Purvis during this play written and acted by Gigi McGraw. A talkback discussion will follow the performance.

This performance is part of Art of the Vote presented by PNC Arts Alive.

Free.

Take a trip back in time and watch as actress Dr. Daisy Century portrays Harriet Tubman, the brave woman who rescued more than 70 slaves using the Underground Railroad. Dr. Century as Harriet Tubman takes each and every audience member along for this ride.

This special program is appropriate for ages 8+. Free.

What do Cadbury Chocolate, The Jersey Devil, and the 18th century transgender preacher known as the Public Universal Friend have in common?  They were all born Quakers!  This lecture will review the lives of some famous Quakers like Lucretia Mott and Bayard Rustin, as well as less well-known Friends and some  "Friendly" almost-Quakers.

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To learn about this and much more, join Aston Township Historical Society in welcoming local historian Celia Caust-Ellenbogen of the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College on Thursday, February 13th, 2020, at 7 PM.  Doors open at 6:30 PM so you can enjoy the new displays featuring the many interesting Women of Aston and the patriotic Veterans from Aston at the Aston Township Community Center located at 3270 Concord Road, Aston, PA 19064.

This event is free and open to the public.  However donations are always welcomed.  Ask about their volunteer opportunities, too!  In case of a snow storm, the event will be rescheduled.

Through the eyes of poet and activist Frances Harper, take a first-hand look at the fight for freedom and equality that began in the 1850s and continued to the passage of 15th Amendment. The event includes the curator's tour of "Civil War & Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality," featuring original archival materials, and a performance of the original stage production of "Fourteen," a play that uses only the words of 19th century activists and political leaders, like Frederick Douglass, to illuminate the stakes of political freedom.

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The tour and play will feature Frances Harper's definitive speech, "The Great Problem to be Solved," in which she sets the stakes for Reconstruction.

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A discussion will follow the performance. 

Come hear the story of the life of Sojourner Truth performed in costume by actress and historical interpreter Dr. Daisy Century. Born into a miserable existence as a slave, Truth escaped and became an influential feminist, abolitionist, and orator. Please register in advance.

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Free

Talk by Kathy Hornberger, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof of Science at Widener University & DCIS Curator
 

Phebe Goodwin and Matilda Cummins were the first two women to become members of the Delaware County Institute of Science in 1847.  Their appointment to the Organizing Committee of the DCIS Agricultural Exhibitions provided impetus for an upsurge of women members in 1869 when the male membership of DCIS voted to give women the right to become regular members with full voting privileges.  Besides Phebe and Matilda, Kathy will discuss other female DCIS members, some who lived in Middletown Township, and their contributions to our community and beyond.

Lima Estates, 411 North Middletown Road, Media, PA 19063

Free and open to the public, no registration required.

In case of inclement weather or changes in the schedule please visit our website  www.mthsdelco.org or call 610-316-5620.

The replica Justice Bell will be on view at the Brandywine River Museum of Art from February 26 through March 9.

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Learn more about the Justice Bell at https://www.justicebell.org/

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Penn State Brandywine associate professor Julie Gallagher will give a historical perspective of the suffrage movement and bring the story to the present, identify some key turning points and individuals, and then offer reflections on why it is so important to have women in elected office.

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This talk is free and open to the public.

It is co-sponsored by the Haverford Township Historical Society and the Haverford Township Free Library.

THE BASIL AND BECKY EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION makes history and culture exciting and relevant to present and future generations who deserve to know on whose shoulders they stand. We recognize that African American history and culture are part of a larger, interconnected experience in the diaspora. We "fill in the gaps" of history and "relocate" these experiences from the "margins to the main pages" of global human consciousness. Visit our website here.

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Join AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN OF WORLD WAR II: Army Nurse Corps -- Rosie the Riveters --  Women's Army Corps -- at our 2nd Annual Awards Luncheon.

Featured Speaker:

• Rev. Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake, President, Independence Blue Cross Foundation.

Honorees:

• Vivian Bailey, 102, Women’s Army Corps (WAC)

• Nancy Leftenant Colon, 99, Army Nurse Corps

• Alma Sartor, 93, Philadelphia Navy Yard, “Rosie the Riveter”

• Florence Thompson, 93, Sun Shipbuilding, “Rosie the Riveter”

Invited Speakers include:

• Former First Lady Michele Obama: Video Greeting

• Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr (D-PA) - Sponsor Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal Act (S 892)

• Col. Edna W. Cummings (USA Ret.)

• Rep. Mary Scanlon: (D-PA 5th District)

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Encore Documentary Screening: Invisible Warriors: African American Women in World War II.

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Tickets- $75 each, $750/ table

Celebrate International Women's Day with a visit from Susan B. Anthony! 

Miss Anthony will share some details about her life and upbringing, but will also do her best convince you to join her in the cause of equal rights for all. A highlight of the presentation is the story of her arrest, trial and conviction for the alleged crime of voting in 1872.

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The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing women the right to vote, has often been called the “Susan B. Anthony Amendment,” in honor of the woman who was the best-known face of the Woman Suffrage movement. In spite of tireless efforts on behalf of the movement, Miss Anthony did not live to see this eventual triumph.

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Marjorie Goldman, a Philadelphia-based actor, has been researching and performing the role of Susan B. Anthony for over 20 years. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in American studies, in addition to her theater training, and is a former U.S. history teacher. Like Miss Anthony, she takes her work seriously, but not to the exclusion of a few good laughs whenever appropriate. Marjorie has been certified as a docent at the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House in Rochester, New York, where she continues to do research as often as possible.  Find out more at Marjorie's website: www.mwgoldman.com.

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There will be ample time for questions and answers after her presentation.  Please register in advance.

Lucretia Mott was a Quaker, wife, mother, teacher, orator, friend, activist, and a symbol of strength and determination. A tenacious woman who spent her life fighting for the rights of women and African Americans, Mott abided by the Quaker tenet that all people are equal. Lucretia and her husband James Mott, along with celebrated orator and champion Frederick Douglass, were among the signers of the Declaration of Sentiments at the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848.

The 40-minute play is presented by Beacon Theater Productions and cosponsored by Radnor Memorial Library and the League of Women Voters of Radnor Township.

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Free

We will be delighted to have you join us for the 37th Annual ElderWeek on our Marple Campus in Media for three days of special mini-classes! Just $110 for all three days, or $100 for two days, which includes eight workshops in three days, continental breakfast and tempting lunches at the “ElderWeek Café.” Most classes and activities will take place in the STEM Center, which is conveniently located next to the parking lots and is easily accessible for all of our students.

Online registration for Elder Week is not available. Please call 610-359-5025 to register and pay. 55+ only

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Workshops related to history include:

Tuesday-

Harriet Tubman presentation, Dr. Daisy Century

Delco Sports Legends, Bill McLaughlin

Fabric Wreath, Judy McCleary and others: Bethel Township Preservation Society (BTPS)

Educational Trivia, Dr. Daisy Century

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Wednesday-

Mary Todd Lincoln-Kentucky Belle & First Lady of the Union, Pat Jordan

Architectural Style: Late 1600s through WW II, Glenn Johnson and BTPS

Delco Sports Legends, Bob McLaughlin

Memory Keeping and Memory Sharing: Leaving a Legacy, Beth McCarrick and BTPS

Clothing in the Late 1600s, Judy McCleary and BTPS

Thomas Garrett and the Underground Railroad, Bob Seeley

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Thursday- 

Your House Has a History, Judy McCleary and BTPS

Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich will discuss images of Liberty related to abolition and suffrage, showing how the images were transformed over time.

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The Museum will open at 5:30 p.m. with the lecture at 6 p.m. and a reception to follow. 

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This presentation is part of Art of the Vote presented by PNC Arts Alive.

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$15 members; $20 non-members; $15 teachers with ID

Upper Chichester Library and the Chichester Historical Society will present a talk by Robyn Young, women’s historian, on Saturday, March 16, 2020.

The talk will begin at 1:00 pm, followed by an Open House until 4:00 pm. Refreshments will be provided. The talk and open house are free, but registration is recommended. Register by calling the library at 610-485-0200.

Talk by Robyn Young, author of Women in Penn's Woods: A History of Women in Pennsylvania

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Graceanna Lewis (1821-1912) was a naturalist, illustrator, and social reformer. She dedicated her life to the study of botany, ornithology and zoology. In addition to being a pioneering female American scientist, she was an activist in the anti-slavery, temperance, and women's suffrage movements.  She grew up in Chester County and moved to Philadelphia in the 1850s where she worked closely with a small circle of Quakers who were active in the natural sciences and associated with the Academy of Natural Sciences.  She exhibited her Chart of the Animal Kingdom at the Centennial Exposition in 1876, and won awards for her natural science drawings at the Columbian and Louisiana Purchase Expositions.  She spent the final decades of her life with her nephew, the artist Charles Lewis Fussell, in a home they shared on Gayley Street in Media, where she was an active member of the Delaware County Institute of Science.

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MIDDLETOWN MONDAYS 2020
Lectures begin at 7:00 p.m.
at Lima Estates, 411 North Middletown Road, Media, PA 19063
Free and open to the public, no registration required.
In case of inclement weather or changes in the schedule please visit our website www.mthsdelco.org or call 610-316-5620.

The League of Women Voters of Radnor Township is proud to sponsor a lecture presented by Radnor High School teacher Mr. Ed Ruby, cosponsored by Radnor Memorial Library and Radnor Historical Society.

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After decades of advocacy, women won the right to vote in 1919–just one hundred years ago. How does this struggle deepen our understanding of the decades of delay and controversy surrounding the Equal Rights Amendment? Using research materials and primary sources developed by the Harvard Business School, Radnor High School teacher Mr. Ed Ruby will help us make the connections. Through strategic questioning techniques, Ruby will broaden our knowledge, prompt critical thinking, and guide our examination of the past. Don’t miss this opportunity for learning about civics in a whole new way as we reflect on the present and shape the future.

Robyn Young will present a slideshow of photos of historical markers and the women who are honored, including suffragettes, scientists, doctors, and artists. Refreshments served. 

Enjoy an afternoon tea at Historic Sugartown. Indulge in a sumptuous 4-course tea provided by Simpson House Tea Room. During your tea, in honor of the centennial year of the 19th Amendment, listen to suffragist leader and founder of the League of Women Voters, Carrie Chapman Catt, portrayed by Pat Jordan of the Heritage Theater Guild, tell the thrilling story of Woman Suffrage.

The tea will take place in Historic Sugartown’s Carriage Museum, located at 273 Boot Road in Malvern.

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Admission: $40 per person. Advanced ticket purchase is required as space is limited!

Directions: Parking for Historic Sugartown’s Carriage Museum is located at 273 Boot Road, Malvern, PA.

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This is sold out, but there is a waiting list. See website for details

Arch Hunter will give a lecture on Women Breaking the Equality Barrier

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Refreshments will be served

Panel discussion on gender and race in politics, led by Krysta Jones, co-chair of Women’s Vote Centennial Initiative, and including Lucinda Robb, granddaughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson and co-author of an upcoming book on the 19th Amendment; Susannah Wellford, Founder of Running Start; and Michele Jones Galvin, descendant of Harriet Tubman and Co-Chair of the New York State Centennial Suffrage Conference.

The Museum will open at 5:30 p.m. with the lecture at 6 p.m. and a reception to follow. 

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$15 members; $20 non-members

Join the national day of literary protest to engage in what Morrison termed "Word Work:" using language to celebrate our differences, reaffirm our dignity, and embrace our humanity. Memorialize one of America’s greatest writers and reclaim the power of words to uplift us, to communicate truth, and to incite change. 
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Frances Ellen Watkins Harper's poems on the separation of enslaved mothers from their children inspired Morrison's great novel Beloved. Listen to Philadelphia actor Diane Leslie perform Harper's work, along with readings by literary stars. 
 

The struggle for woman suffrage was an important and hard-fought step toward gender equality.  Music was one of the significant tools used in the crusade for a woman's right to vote. Songs were composed to advance (and to oppose) the agenda that culminated in the 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. Folk musicians and music historians Rick Spencer and Dawn Indermuehle present some of the most engaging songs of the movement, with historical commentary.

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This presentation is part of Art of the Vote presented by PNC Arts Alive.

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Free with Museum admission

Votes for Women exhibition-themed gallery talk with curator Amanda C. Burdan.

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Free with Museum admission

Rose Valley Historical Society in cooperation with the Swathmore Peace Collection, the Friends Library and Wendy Chmielewski present this exhibit about women's suffrage and the Equal Rights Amendment.

Sue Keilbaugh will give a lecture on Women's Suffrage and Rose Valley.

Talk by Becky L. Diamond, journalist, author and culinary historian     
 

In Philadelphia during the first decades of the 19th-century, a widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Goodfellow, ran a popular bakery and sweet shop. In addition to catering to Philadelphia’s wealthy families and a reputation of having the finest desserts and sweet dishes in the young country, her business stood out from every other establishment in another way: she ran a small school to teach the art of cooking, the first of its kind in America. Despite her fame, references to her cooking as a benchmark abound in the literature of the period, we know very little about who she was. Since she did not keep a journal and never published any of her recipes, we have to rely on her students, most notably Eliza Leslie, who fortunately recorded many of Goodfellow’s creations and techniques. Goodfellow is known to have made the first lemon meringue pie and for popularizing regional foods, such as Indian (corn) meal. Her students also recall that Mrs. Goodfellow stressed using simple wholesome ingredients that were locally grown, presaging modern culinary fashion.

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​MIDDLETOWN MONDAYS 2020
Lectures begin at 7:00 p.m.
at Lima Estates, 411 North Middletown Road, Media, PA 19063
Free and open to the public, no registration required.
In case of inclement weather or changes in the schedule please visit our website www.mthsdelco.org or call 610-316-5620.

The March 17 lecture at the Athenaeum was cancelled, but it has been incorporated into the Preservation Alliance Speaker Series- click Learn More for details

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Although her formal independent practice lasted just eight years and was concentrated in the Philadelphia area, Minerva Parker Nichols (1862-1949) built a career and clientele of architectural and social significance in the late nineteenth-century’s professionalizing field of architecture. Trained as an apprentice, Nichols designed over 60 commissions nationwide, earning plaudits and extensive press coverage from her peers. Yet, she is rarely recognized today for her contributions to the field of architecture—in particular, on behalf of female clients and women’s clubs in an era of growing economic independence for women. This oversight neglects one of the earliest case studies of a woman successfully contributing dozens of structures to the American built environment—including spaces explicitly for women—and creating a business model as an independent female architect where there was none. This talk is based on research that began 7 years ago for a Master’s thesis, and continues today.

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Margaret (Molly) Lester is a Research Associate for PennPraxis, the center for applied research, outreach, and practice at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design (University of Pennsylvania). Her portfolio includes research, documentation, and field survey projects related to historic buildings and landscapes. Previously, she worked as a freelance architectural historian, a nonprofit program director, and an architectural historian/ historic tax credit consultant for Heritage Consulting Group. She holds a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Architectural History from the University of Virginia.

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Members Reception at 5:30pm

DCHS will host the University of Pennsylvania's traveling exhibit. The exhibit is in recognition of the World Health Organization (WHO) naming 2020 the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, in honor of Florence Nightingale's 200th birthday and to recognize the impact of nurses on achieving their sustainable development goals for the world. This is the first time WHO has selected a profession to be the focus of a "Year" and we have an opportunity to highlight, celebrate and truly reflect on the global impact of nursing.

This dynamic evening will reveal the extent to which Black women, particularly, have risked their lives to advance Civil Rights. We start with a screening of the hour-long film, Sisters in Freedom, about the multi-racial group of women who agitated for abolition, Black rights, and women's rights only to be met with violence. After the film: a reading and discussion with poet DaMaris B. Hill, author of A Bound Woman Is A Dangerous Thing: The Incarceration of African American Women from Harriet Tubman to Sandra Bland. Professor Hill's book brings to life the struggle and beauty of Philadelphia women who, like Frances Harper, sought justice for themselves and others. During the event archivists will present police, court, and jail records related to some of these historic figures. 

Lecture by Rachael McCullough, for the Aston Township Historical Society

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Free.

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Doors open at 6:30

Millions of American women were granted the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which marks its centennial in 2020. But more than a century earlier, women legally voted in New Jersey from 1776 – 1807. In a groundbreaking new exhibition, the Museum of the American Revolution will explore the little-known history of the nation’s first women voters—and examine how and why this right was ripped away in 1807. Featuring original objects including textiles, manuscripts, furniture, and art, as well as interactive elements and scenic environments, the exhibition will bring to life the forgotten stories of the women who first pioneered the vote. When Women Lost the Vote is an inspiring story that will encourage visitors to reconsider their understanding of the timeline of women’s history in America, but it is also a cautionary tale about one of America’s first voting rights crises.

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Bank of America and Comcast NBCUniversal are Co-presenting sponsors of the exhibition.

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Free with Museum admission

During the week of national and citywide celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, through the words of poet and activist Frances Harper explore how the women’s rights movement grew alongside the anti-slavery movement and ultimately gained momentum during Reconstruction as part of the ongoing battle for freedom and equality for all. An interpretive tour of the National Constitution Center's exhibit will include the performance of Frances Harper's speech "We Are All Bound Up Together," given at the Eleventh Women's Rights Convention. "You white women speak here of rights. I speak of wrongs," she said, imploring white women to see the Black freedom struggle as the same as their own, intertwined.

Aston Township Historical Society presentation on women of Aston featuring several speakers

Blunt-speaking, no-nonsense Alice Paul was born into a Quaker family in New Jersey. Her many areas of studies and earned degrees included a BA in Biology from Swarthmore, studies in social work at the New York School of Philanthropy (now the Columbia University Graduate School of Social Work) and the University of Birmingham. She learned economics and political science at the London School of Economics, and received an MA in Sociology and a PhD in economics, both from the University of Pennsylvania; all while working for suffrage. Paul later went to law school in order to learn strategy, earning first a Bachelor of Legal Letters, followed by a Master of Legal Letters and finally, a Doctor of Civil Law, all from American University. Inspired by Britain’s Christabel Pankhurst to speak out for women’s right to vote, Paul joined the fight for suffrage in Great Britain, returned home to work with the National American Woman Suffrage Association, founded the National Woman’s Party, campaigned against President Wilson’s refusal to support woman suffrage, went on hunger strikes and was jailed in order to secure the 19th Amendment. When that passed, in 1920, Alice Paul wrote and worked for the Equal Rights Amendment, introducing the bill in 1923. The ERA has been introduced to Congress every session since 1982, but has never gotten out of committee.

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Come meet Alice Paul in person, portrayed by Taylor Williams. Refreshments served.

Co-sponsored by Haverford Township Historical Society and Haverford Township Free Library

Middletown Township Historical Society presents The Legacy of Phebe and Matilda, Part 2: Contributions by Women of the Delaware County Institute of Science by Kathy Hornberger as part of its Middletown Monday Series

Lima Estates, 411 North Middletown Road, Media, PA 19063

Free and open to the public, no registration required.

In case of inclement weather or changes in the schedule please visit our website  www.mthsdelco.org or call 610-316-5620.

Lecture by Clarissa Dillon

Lecture by Douglas Miller, Site Administrator, Pennsbury Manor Historic Site

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While frequently overshadowed by the reality and legends surrounding William Penn, Hannah, his second wife was a powerhouse in her own right.  After William Penn had a stroke in 1712, Hannah took over all his business affairs.  She was never formally recognized as Governor but serving in that fashion, Hannah would face family turmoil, a disabled husband, border unrest in the colony and crippling financial situations.  Come learn how Hannah would become the savior of the colony and how she laid the path forward for our Commonwealth.

Douglas Miller has served as the Historic Site Administrator (Director) of the accredited Pennsbury Manor Historic Site for nearly a quarter century.  In his career her has served as the director of Curtin Village (Centre County), Hope Lodge and Graeme Park (Montgomery County) and Washington’s Crossing (Bucks County).  Mr. Miller serves as a peer reviewer for Museum Accreditation and a Museum Assistance Program consultant on a voluntary basis with the American Alliance of Museums.

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At Lima Estates, 411 North Middletown Road, Media, PA 19063
Free and open to the public, no registration required.
In case of inclement weather or changes in the schedule please visit our website www.mthsdelco.org or call 610-316-5620.

Come join the groups of Western Delco on a bus tour of important sites related to women in those areas and learn more about their local and national significance. More details TBD 

Bring an item from a woman you know and share a story about her. Can be a mother, grandmother, other relative or friend; all women are important to share their stories. Displays from HTHS and Girl Scouts.

Lecture by Kelly Brennan

Nancy Webster will give a lecture on Anna Howard Shaw