Recognizing the achievements of women in all facets of life – science, government, literature, and art – HSP’s newest document display showcases exceptional women from our collection.

From the “First Female Governor” Hannah Penn, through the experiences of Sumiko Kobayahsi and other Japanese-Americans interned during the Second World War, Exceptional Women in Pennsylvania encourages discovering stories about our mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers to help us better understand their lives, the challenges they faced, and ultimately, ourselves.

Attendees will have an opportunity to view photographs, manuscripts, prints, ephemera and more, including:

• Hannah Penn’s Deed of Appointment
• Sketches from Violet Oakley
• Election ephemera from Genevieve Blatt, the first woman elected to state-wide office in Pennsylvania
• Ration booklets from Sumiko Kobayashi’s time in the Topaz Internment Camp
• Suffrage stickers and scrapbook of Caroline Katzenstein, a leading Pennsylvania suffragette

Free and open to the public during regular library hours.