Smithsonian American Women

September 1, 2019
Smithsonian American Women is the rare reference book that is also unputdownable. Stemming from the American Women's History Initiative and tied to the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, the volume is a demonstration of what there is to mine from the Smithsonian's collections that reflects the lives of women. It covers women famous and obscure, historical and modern. Two-hundred-eighty artifacts, from Seneca women's clothing to the pussy hat, are presented chronologically, most with explanatory essays by museum staffers or researchers. This is a well-put together, well-designed book, so stuffed with information that readers will be tempted to consume it, all at once or in chunks, rather than in the usual, hunt-and-peck way most reference books are read. Introductory essays, color photos and pictures, and some data were not available for review. Nonetheless, the book's widespread and timely appeal encourages any public, school, or academic library to add it to an American history collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)