Published in 2019
256 pages
Edited by Smithsonian Institution is the largest museum complex in the world. Smithsonian American Women is part of the The Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative which illuminates women’s pivotal roles in building and sustaining our country. The book features objects from 16 Smithsonian museums and archives and text by 95 curators with expertise in a variety of fields.
What is this book about?
A celebration of women’s history in the U.S. told through Smithsonian artifacts illustrating women’s participation in science, art, music, sports, fashion, religion, entertainment, military, politics, and more.
This book offers a unique, panoramic look at women’s history in the United States through the lens of ordinary objects from, by, and for extraordinary women. Featuring more than 280 artifacts from 16 Smithsonian museums and archives, and more than 135 essays from 95 Smithsonian authors, this book tells women’s history as only the Smithsonian can.
Featured objects range from portraits and paintings to political banners, buttons, and signs. Also depicted are musical instruments, sports equipment, clothes including military uniforms and first ladies’ gowns, letters, movie and television ads, and so much more. Together with illuminating text, these objects elevate the importance of American women in the home, workplace, government, and beyond. Published to commemorate the 2020 centennial of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote, Smithsonian American Women is a must-have reflection on how generations of women have defined what it means to be recognized in both the nation and the world.
