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Guide to the Women's Heritage Museum/International Museum of Women Records
MSS-2010-02-18
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Table of contents
Title: Women's Heritage Museum/International Museum of Women Records
Dates: 1887-2005
Bulk Dates: 1970-1997
Collection number: MSS-2010-02-18
Creator:
International Museum of Women
Collection Size:
52 boxes,
52.9 linear feet;
3 folio file drawers,
13 linear feet
Repository:
San José State University. Library.
San José, California 95192-0028
Abstract: The Women's Heritage Museum/International Museum of Women Records, 1887-2005 (1970-1997), document the formation of this museum,
which was organized to promote women's history. The records consist of administrative documents, newspaper clippings, photographs,
and video tapes. The collection contains information on museum exhibits, including
California Woman Suffrage 1870-1911, which opened in 1986 and was shown in the California State Capitol and the National Women's Hall of Fame in Senca Falls,
New York. Materials include artifacts that were used in musuem exhibits, such as the petticoat of Sarah Bard Field, a California
suffragist and poet. This collection is arranged into seven series: Series I. Administrative Files, 1985-1996; Series II.
Exhibits and Programs, 1979-2004 (1990-2000); Series III. Artifacts and Exhibit Materials, 1887-2003 (1980-1990); Series IV.
Career Action Files, 1971-1988; Series V. Publications and Clippings, 1954-2005; Audiovisual and Visual Materials, 1987-2004;
Artwork, Posters, and Museum Plans, 1983-2004.
Physical location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Collection is open for research, with the exception of the following materials: financial documents in Boxes 1, 2, 3, and
4.
Copyright has been assigned to the San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission
to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include
or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader. Copyright restrictions also apply
to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.
Women's Heritage Museum/International Museum of Women Records, MSS-2010-02-18, San José State University Library Special Collections
& Archives.
Collection processed by Beth Noyes. Finding aid EAD encoded by Beth Noyes. Reviewed by Danelle Moon.
The International Museum of Women (I.M.O.W.), originally called the Women's Heritage Museum (W.H.M.), was founded in 1985
when Jeanne McDonnell, Anne Murray, and Jane Van Dusen signed the papers of incorporation. The mission of this social change
museum was to value the lives of women around the world. The museum documented women's history through exhibits and sponsored
a variety of programs focused on educating the public and improving the status of women.
The first public program held by the museum provided historical information on the California suffragist Sarah Wallis, and
was held in a park named for her. In 1985, the museum also published the
Women's Heritage Museum News, a quarterly newsletter that was eventually distributed nationally. After its inception, the museum created several exhibits
documenting women's history. Since the museum lacked a permanent building, the exhibits were loaned to various museums and
venues for display.
California Woman Suffrage 1870-1911 opened in 1986 and was shown in the California State Capitol and the National Women's Hall of Fame in Senca Falls, New York.
Progress of the Women's World featured the works of 70 artists from over 50 countries and was displayed in the visitors lobby of the United Nations in
2000. The museum also sponsored local events, including an annual book fair, a program to provide educators with resources
for Women's History Month, tours of the Juana Briones House, and the reenactment of historical events. In addition, the museum
organized tours to sites of interest in women's history.
At a 1997 board meeting hosted by Eliabeth Colton, the members decided to take the museum in a new direction. Along with changing
the name to the International Museum of Women (I.M.O.W.), the board began plans to secure a permanent exhibit space in San
Francisco. The Presidio Project was a plan to convert a building at Presidio Park into a museum space for the I.M.O.W. The
board also attempted to build a museum site at Pier 26 in San Francisco. These projects ultimately failed due to lack of funding
and the economic downturn. In addition, the I.M.O.W. initiated a speaker series, sponsoring lectures from authors, artists,
and political figures.
In 2005, the institution decided to "focus on creating a new kind of museum that would engage and impact women around the
world" through a digital environment (International Museum of Women, 2010). They supported this initiative through the creation
of several online exhibits, including the 2006 exhibit
Imagining Ourselves: A Global Generation of Women, which won the Anita Borg Social Impact Award. The I.M.O.W. also built strategic relationships with organizations that shared
similar goals.
International Museum of Women (2010).
History. Retrieved from
http://www.imow.org/about/ourstory/history
International Museum of Women (2010).
Our Story. Retrieved from
http://www.imow.org/about/ourstory/index
International Museum of Women (1994).
Women's Heritage Museum: Board Notebook.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Women's Heritage Museum/International Museum of Women Records, 1887-2005 (1970-1997), document the formation of this museum,
which was organized to promote women's history. The records consist of administrative documents, newspaper clippings, photographs,
and video tapes. The collection contains information on museum exhibits, including
California Woman Suffrage 1870-1911, which opened in 1986 and was shown in the California State Capitol and the National Women's Hall of Fame in Senca Falls,
New York. Materials include artifacts that were used in musuem exhibits, such as the petticoat of Sarah Bard Field, a California
suffragist and poet.
This collection is arranged into seven series: Series I. Administrative Files, 1985-1996; Series II. Exhibits and Programs,
1979-2004 (1990-2000); Series III. Artifacts and Exhibit Materials, 1887-2003 (1980-1990); Series IV. Career Action Files,
1971-1988; Series V. Publications and Clippings, 1954-2005; Audiovisual and Visual Materials, 1987-2004; Artwork, Posters,
and Museum Plans, 1983-2004.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
International Museum of Women
Museums and women
Women--Suffrage--California--History--Exhibitions
Women's rights -- California -- San Francisco Bay Area
Women's rights -- United States -- History -- 20th century
Women's rights -- California