Women's Rights

Continued from my Library post

In the foyer of the Cultural Centre, there is an exhibition celebrating democracy and 100 years since women acquired the right to vote in national elections here in Sweden: 1921. 

Looking up some details now, I see that the "age of majority" back then was 23, though (nowadays 18). Which means neither of my grandmothers (born 1900 and 1902) would have been old enough to vote in that historic election. (And as a matter of fact, neither of my grandfathers either!)

As I was in the building anyway, I also took the opportunity to re-visit the Art Museum. With the suffragette movement still on my mind, one of the sculptures that caught my camera eye this time, was this one:

And seen from the back...

From one of the windows on the ground floor, one has this view towards the nearby church (built around 1906 if memory serves me right). That church is part of this summer's art exhibitions too, and I went over to check in there again as well. The modern art on display there consists a number  of see-through screens with "floating clouds" in various colours. They seemed to have multiplied since last time! But it was probably just me walking around more this time - and changing perspective (= looking up more than I did then) ;)

Back at the Cultural Centre, I then sat down for a while at the café and had an ice cream to recharge my batteries for the walk back home. Having done that, I even felt refreshed enough for another little detour ... (to be continued...)

Sepia Saturday 482 - A Hundred Years Ago

Another mystery photo from my great-aunt Gerda's photo album. As usual there are no written clues to reveal who, where or when. I'm choosing this photo for this week's Sepia Saturday, because it shows three women from around the same time period as the prompt photo of Emmeline Pankhurst & co (see below).

When guessing the time period of my photo, my only clues are the fashion and hair styles. I know Gerda is the woman in the middle  (concluded from comparison with other photos).  But I'm not sure whether the photo was taken in America, Sweden or France - or even somewhere else.

I also don't know Gerda's opinions about the suffragette movement. Working her way up as a maid, lady's maid, travel companion and housekeeper, I can imagine that she perhaps learned to keep her thoughts on politics to herself. What I know is that when she emigrated to America in 1902 (at age 21), women in Sweden were not allowed to vote - and only about a fourth of the men. When she returned around 1911, most men were allowed to vote, but not the women. When WWI broke out, Gerda was in France; and it seems she was unable to go back to Sweden for the duration of the war. In 1919, the right to vote in Sweden was finally extended to women (over the age of 23); but the first elections where they could actually take part were held in 1921. I do have some evidence indicating that Gerda was living in Sweden in 1921; so she may have been able to vote in that election. (Both my grandmothers, born in 1900 and 1902, would still have been too young, though - as the age limit back then was 23!)

Sepia Saturday 482