Up for sale is a wonderful piece of Midwestern social history: an original antique vernacular photograph featuring the members of the Progressive Literary Club of Hamilton, Ohio.While the handwritten notation at the top notes that the club was originally "organized in 1898," the fashion, clothing styles, and family genealogy anchor the actual date of this specific photograph to the mid-1910s (circa 1915–1917). During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women’s literary societies were vital forerunners to the women's rights and suffrage movements. They offered women a socially acceptable space to educate themselves, practice public speaking, and organize community initiatives outside the home.What makes this photo exceptionally special is that a family historian later took the time to meticulously map out and identify nearly everyone in the photo, row by row, right on the cardboard mount.The handwritten key includes prominent local Butler County / Hamilton names:

• Front Row: Miss Amy Ross, Mrs. Sarah Slade, Miss Anna Magie, Robert Hall, Miss Smalley, Senta Pabst, and Mrs. Otto Pabst. (Genealogy records show Senta Pabst was born in Hamilton in 1911, and she appears here as the sweet little girl sitting on the grass in the front!).
• Second Row: Miss Lillian Millikin, Mrs. Jennie Ross, Mrs. Minerva Field, Mrs. David Huston, Mrs. Laura Shields, Mrs. Mary Seward, Mrs. Kate Magie, and Mrs. Emma Berry.
• Third Row: Mrs. Clara Slade, Mrs. Frank Beals, Mrs. Emma Bobenmeyer, Miss Minnie Smith, Mrs. Rachel Millikin, Mrs. Karl Heiser, Miss Rose Millikin, and Mrs. John Hall.

Condition & Size:
The photograph itself is in nice antique condition with great clarity and contrast, showing 20 women and two children gathered outdoors. The large cardboard mount shows some expected wear, aged toning, and old tape/mounting marks on the outer borders from being preserved in a frame or album over the decades (please see photos for exact condition details).Will be shipped flat and securely to prevent any bending. Let me know if you have any questions!
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