Following are some of the key images, artifacts and ephemera from the WSHS collection that are featured in the traveling exhibition "Women's Votes, Women's Voices " as well as the book of the same name. Additional objects, images, and ephemera pertaining to women's suffrage can be found (and searched for) in the various collections presented on our Online Collections page.

Spotlight Images


Clothes Make History

The owner of this blouse, Catharine Paine Blaine, also wore "Bloomers," an outfit that included a knee-length skirt over trousers. "Bloomers" made the statement that a woman had a right to choose what she wore. They were popular among women's rights activists.


A Suffering Household?

"What is a suffragette without a suffering household?" asked one anti-suffrage cartoonist. Women who were active in politics contended not only with the censure of their neighbors but also with the popular media's interpretation of their ability as wives and mothers.


Women Want the Ballot

Why did women in Washington want the ballot? Eight reasons are given in this handbill, beginning with "Because those who obey laws should have something to say about their making."


Keep 'em Flying

Dorothy Williams is learning the use of a belt sander at the Rainier Aircraft Training School. Assigned to the school, Dorothy was referred to the aircraft factories to "Keep 'em Flying" after the completion of her 1945 course.


Women Take Charge

"Dixy for us!" proclaimed campaign advertisements for Washington's first female Governor, Democrat Dixy Lee Ray. Washington has been home to many other women in politics, including its present governor, Christine Gregoire.