Frame Size (H x L): 22” x 46”
Textile Size (H x L): 11” x 29.5” with 5.5” tassels.

Offered is an extremely rare and fantastic “VOTES FOR WOMEN” pennant.  The outer portions of the field are made of yellow felt, and the inner portion is made of black felt.  The lettering is yellow and affixed to the inner portion.  The pennant further includes a black hoist made of felt and four yellow tassels also made of felt affixed thereto.  Yellow was the primary color in the women’s suffrage movement in the US, and was combined with various other colors, including black and purple in many instances.

A similar pennant is held by the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.  It was donated to the University by Rosa Marie Levis (1878-1959).  Levis was an advocate for women’s suffrage, and claimed to be the first Italian American suffragist in Massachusetts.  Among other things, she and other suffragists sold Liberty Bonds during World War I.  Another example of this pennant is shown, in the black-and-white image above, in a Cape Cod home hanging above a bed.  Given that both of these known examples have Massachusetts roots, it is reasonable to assume that were made and waved therein.      

In 1848, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton organized the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York.  As a result of this meeting in Stanton’s hometown, the document containing a declaration for women’s suffrage, right to education, and right to employment was drafted.  Over the next 50 years, numerous women’s conventions were hosted to bring strength to the movement in masses.

Though initially targeted as a state-by-state movement, it was ultimately recognized that only an amendment to the Constitution would grant all women the right to vote.  Amendments were introduced in 1878 and 1914, both of which were defeated.  By 1918, both political parties were committed to women’s suffrage, in part based on the major role women played in World War I.  As such, in January of 1918 and June of 1919, an amendment was passed by two-thirds majorities in the House and Senate, respectively.  On August 18th, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, giving the two-thirds of state legislators necessary to ratify the amendment.  On August 26th, the Nineteenth Amendment became part of the Constitution, and read as follows:

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Conservation Process: This pennant was hand sewn to cotton fabric, and both were hand sewn to a mounting board. To prevent the black dye in the cotton fabric from seeping into the pennant, it was first washed in a standard wash and then in a dye setting wash. The pennant is positioned behind Optium Museum Acrylic.

Frame: This offering is in our Large Distressed Gold Frame.

Condition Report: This pennant is in excellent condition.

Collectability Level: The Best – Perfect for Advanced Collectors  
Date of Origin: 1910-1920