Corsets, Croquet and Crusades: Kentucky Women’s Lives, 1889-1914
Celebrate Women’s History Month with a visit to our gallery. These Kentucky Historical Society exhibits celebrate the experiences and contributions of Kentucky women from post-Civil War years into the 20th century.
The turn of the 20th century was a time of change for American women. The technological advances, economic development, and social turmoil that seized the nation affected every facet of life – from the clothing people wore to the causes they embraced. This exhibit celebrates the joys, hardships, and challenges facing Kentucky women during this exciting era.
For the majority of Kentucky women of the period who married and raised families, the weddings, births, and funerals depicted in the exhibit were the benchmarks of their lives. But some women challenged Victorian traditions by earning college degrees, working outside the home, and crusading for better schools, more humane working conditions, and women’s suffrage.
Period images of women in domestic, occupational, and social settings illustrate the daily lives of average women. The exhibit introduces Kentucky’s leading female reformers and explores these emerging and diverging lifestyles in this perceptive look at women adjusting to a changing world.
This exhibit is open during regular library hours from March 1st – 31st.