As a cataloger at the American Antiquarian Society, one of my current projects involves updating bibliographic catalog records for American women of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. AAS prioritizes cataloging for marginalized groups through the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) initiative, and I find it rewarding to contribute to a more inclusive and diverse catalog. Over the course of this project, I have enhanced access to more than 500 items by supplying accurate imprint information and adding access points such as subject keywords, summaries, series titles, and additional notes.
In working with these materials, I have had the privilege of acquainting myself with many remarkable women whose lives are preserved in the AAS collection. These materials include formal biographies, literary studies, collections of letters, diaries, journals, memorial works, eulogies, articles, wills, and various addresses. Together, they paint a picture of women of the period and reveal how their stories were framed in the early 20th-century United States.
Many of these works highlight women pioneering in education, suffrage, and community life. One example is Maria Mitchell (1818-1889), the first woman astronomer who, along with being a librarian, also taught at Vassar College. Sweeper in the Sky, a biography of Mitchell, was written by Helen Wright and published in 1950. The description of her teaching philosophy especially struck me: “She was devoted to the education of young women because she wished their lives to be governed by the harmonies of truth rather than the vagaries of tradition, the ‘infinities’ rather than the ‘infinitesimals.’” In this description, I see the heart of many women represented in the Society’s collections. They resisted the “infinitesimals” of tradition that sought to confine them because of gender and instead looked to the “infinities” of human experience, regardless of gender.
Sacagawea is a well-known figure in American history, but I was surprised to learn more details of her story and how various biographers have approached telling it. Her name appears in multiple iterations throughout different biographies — Sacajawea, Sacagawea, Bird woman — and each offers slightly different interpretations of her role in the Lewis and Clark expedition and her identity as a member of the Shoshone tribe. Examining these biographies highlights how the perspective and priorities of the nineteenth-century authors shaped historical narratives, but also shows why it is important to preserve historical scholarship from the early twentieth century into the twenty-first century.
A lesser-known figure, Josephine Clofullia, lived with hypertrichosis, a condition that caused her to grow more hair than usual. This enabled her to perform as Madame Clofullia, the “bearded lady” with Barnum’s American Museum, while maintaining a family life with her husband and son. Her son, Albert, was dubbed “Esau” because he also had hypertrichosis and resembled the biblical character; he later toured alongside his mother.
The Society holds four pamphlets about Madame Clofullia, likely created as promotional material for her act. These ephemera not only provide a brief biography and advertisement of her performances but also capture contemporary attitudes toward difference, curiosity, and respectability. One pamphlet bears an inscription: “Saw this lady – father and husband in Zanesville [Ohio] 1854 – very intelligent respectable looking people. – Likeness good.” This inscription offers a glimpse into how Clofullia was perceived in her time, suggesting both fascination and a recognition of her dignity.
Overall, it has been meaningful to step into the world of these women as I classify their narratives into catalog records. My aim, in line with AAS’s IDEA initiative, is to help create a more accessible catalog and ensure these stories of women’s lives will be easily discovered in the future. As a woman myself, it is inspiring to learn more about their lives and recognize the enduring impact of their contributions.
