Contents of Century-Old Safe Reveal Hard-Won battles for Women’s Rights
Contents of a more than 100-year-old safe reveal hard-won battles for women’s rights, undying commitment to the cause and a persistent hope for equality that is still very much alive in today’s society.
The forgotten safe carrying the title, “Women’s Suffrage Party” collected decades of dust in the National Council for Women in New York since at least 1916. The NCW decided to crack it open in celebration of the organizations 125th birthday. The Council enlisted the help of University of Rochester historians to explore it with care and hired an expert locksmith, Elaad Israel, to do the careful ‘cracking’.
It takes a special type of skill to open this type of antique safe, making sure not to damage the contents within and to also maintain the integrity of the material of the enclosure due to its age.
Like a treasure chest in a daring pirate’s tale, when Israel masterfully opened it there lay several coins from across the globe, commemorative medals, a silver broach, and wooden stamp. A paper noted an incorporation date of 1931. Keys to the storage area in the basement, presently the Council headquarters, were found along with six panels and miniature wall murals showcasing women assisting women (one identified as a Red Cross worker ) that was commissioned for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.
Thanks to the expert locksmith we can reflect on how far we’ve come to manifest the hopes and aspirations of many of the pioneering women who fought for the many rights and equal positions of power achieved in our society for women and girls today.
While in some respects it seems as though the progression of women’s rights has made tremendous gains, such as abortion rights and the right to vote, many reports that still assert, for example, that women still earn less than men at an average of 22 per cent loss on every dollar.
In 2016, millions waited to hear the announcement of the United States’ first female president, and although women gained the vote in 1920 with the passage of the 19th amendment, a female has yet to be seated in the most powerful office in America. Lack of female representation in the sciences and as CEOs and other higher level management positions are often cited as proof a lack of progress towards the cause for equality in the 21st century.
Susan B. Anthony, early women of the Suffragettes movement and feminist movements to follow have had a long and steady road to traverse for irregular, progression. Advocacy for voting rights, for example, began early in the 1840s, but it would not be until 80 years later that nearly half of the population would receive the right to choose their political representatives.
The NCW was founded in1888 by women advocating equal voting rights, workforce rights and legal representation. More than 100-years later this antique time-capsule safe is as good as finding gold when it comes to inspiring their forerunners to continue their work toward equality.
The forgotten safe carrying the title, “Women’s Suffrage Party” collected decades of dust in the National Council for Women in New York since at least 1916. The NCW decided to crack it open in celebration of the organizations 125th birthday. The Council enlisted the help of University of Rochester historians to explore it with care and hired an expert locksmith, Elaad Israel, to do the careful ‘cracking’.
It takes a special type of skill to open this type of antique safe, making sure not to damage the contents within and to also maintain the integrity of the material of the enclosure due to its age.
Like a treasure chest in a daring pirate’s tale, when Israel masterfully opened it there lay several coins from across the globe, commemorative medals, a silver broach, and wooden stamp. A paper noted an incorporation date of 1931. Keys to the storage area in the basement, presently the Council headquarters, were found along with six panels and miniature wall murals showcasing women assisting women (one identified as a Red Cross worker ) that was commissioned for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.
Thanks to the expert locksmith we can reflect on how far we’ve come to manifest the hopes and aspirations of many of the pioneering women who fought for the many rights and equal positions of power achieved in our society for women and girls today.
While in some respects it seems as though the progression of women’s rights has made tremendous gains, such as abortion rights and the right to vote, many reports that still assert, for example, that women still earn less than men at an average of 22 per cent loss on every dollar.
In 2016, millions waited to hear the announcement of the United States’ first female president, and although women gained the vote in 1920 with the passage of the 19th amendment, a female has yet to be seated in the most powerful office in America. Lack of female representation in the sciences and as CEOs and other higher level management positions are often cited as proof a lack of progress towards the cause for equality in the 21st century.
Susan B. Anthony, early women of the Suffragettes movement and feminist movements to follow have had a long and steady road to traverse for irregular, progression. Advocacy for voting rights, for example, began early in the 1840s, but it would not be until 80 years later that nearly half of the population would receive the right to choose their political representatives.
The NCW was founded in1888 by women advocating equal voting rights, workforce rights and legal representation. More than 100-years later this antique time-capsule safe is as good as finding gold when it comes to inspiring their forerunners to continue their work toward equality.
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