Lisa McCarty

Votes for Women 1920/2020

In response to the Yellow Rose Project invitation I became interested in suffrage buttons. Individual suffragettes, as well as suffrage organizations, often produced and distributed buttons, as a means to visually influence public opinion. Despite the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920, it occurs to me that public opinion is in need of further influence.

According to a study by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, only 63.3 percent of eligible women report exercising their right to vote. Additionally, although women make up a slight majority of registered voters, women hold just 23% of congressional seats and only 25% of state legislators are women. And, as we all know, the greatest glass ceiling in American politics has yet to be broken.

For my contribution to the Yellow Rose Project I have recreated suffrage buttons from the 19th and 20th century to encourage 21st century women to vote, and to encourage all voters to support women candidates. My cyanotype buttons serve the same purpose as suffrage buttons from previous generations; they serve as a continued reminder of a woman’s right to a voice in government and of our collective capacity to influence election outcomes.

Each button is a wearable cyanotype print made on 100lb archival paper. An adhesive safety pin bar is affixed on the backside. While these paper buttons are delicate, they are intended to be worn or displayed. The button designs themselves come from a variety of public collections including: the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Georgia State University Library, The University of Iowa Libraries, and the Ann Lewis Women’s Suffrage Collection.