Playbill to "The Moving House
- Boston: Women's Educational and Industrial Union, 1915
Boston: Women's Educational and Industrial Union, 1915. Very Good. Boston: Women's Educational and Industrial Union, 1915. First Edition. Octavo (21.5cm.); publisher's white pictorial staple bound wrappers printed in blue, black and gilt, title cancel mounted to upper cover; [20]pp.; illus. ads throughout. Light wear from handling, brief split along spine foot, else Very Good and sound.
Playbill to a production of Pauline Bradford Mackie's play for children "The Moving House," organized by the Women's Educational and Industrial Union. The contents are chiefly made up of local ads for tea, cocoa powder, and hairweaving technology, though the early leaves also include the complete list of WEIU officers for 1914 and 1915. The playbill also mentions that "Simmons College students under the leadership of Harriet Putnam will sell Union Cakes and Candies in the intermission."
The WEIU was founded in 1877 by Harriet Clisby, one of many such organizations which popped up in the aftermath of the Civil War. "In pursuing a vision of social justice for poor and middle class women, the founding members defined a new place for 'ladies' as social activists" (Harth, p, 140). Though largely overlooked by historians of women's antebellum philanthropy, the WEIU was active until well into the 21st century, and historian Erica Harth makes the case that "the WEIU was an historically pivotal organization, combining spirituality, self-improvement and social activism in a blend strong enough to span the nineteenth and twentieth centuries" (p. 141).
Indeed, at the time this play was being produced, the WEIU had just founded its own credit union and a year later opened the country's first children's bookstore the Horn Book, which eventually turned into the children's book review magazine still extant today.
No copies of this or any other similar playbills separately located in OCLC as of April, 2025.
Reference: Erica Harth, "The Founding Mothers of Social Justice: The Women's Educational and Industrial Union of Boston, 1877-1892," in "Historical Journal of Massachusetts" 27:2).
Playbill to a production of Pauline Bradford Mackie's play for children "The Moving House," organized by the Women's Educational and Industrial Union. The contents are chiefly made up of local ads for tea, cocoa powder, and hairweaving technology, though the early leaves also include the complete list of WEIU officers for 1914 and 1915. The playbill also mentions that "Simmons College students under the leadership of Harriet Putnam will sell Union Cakes and Candies in the intermission."
The WEIU was founded in 1877 by Harriet Clisby, one of many such organizations which popped up in the aftermath of the Civil War. "In pursuing a vision of social justice for poor and middle class women, the founding members defined a new place for 'ladies' as social activists" (Harth, p, 140). Though largely overlooked by historians of women's antebellum philanthropy, the WEIU was active until well into the 21st century, and historian Erica Harth makes the case that "the WEIU was an historically pivotal organization, combining spirituality, self-improvement and social activism in a blend strong enough to span the nineteenth and twentieth centuries" (p. 141).
Indeed, at the time this play was being produced, the WEIU had just founded its own credit union and a year later opened the country's first children's bookstore the Horn Book, which eventually turned into the children's book review magazine still extant today.
No copies of this or any other similar playbills separately located in OCLC as of April, 2025.
Reference: Erica Harth, "The Founding Mothers of Social Justice: The Women's Educational and Industrial Union of Boston, 1877-1892," in "Historical Journal of Massachusetts" 27:2).