A PILOT TRAINING LOGBOOK FOR A FEMALE PILOT IN 1941

Log. 9pg. 7 ½” x 5 ¼”. January-June 1941. Denver, Van Nuys, CA, and East Haven, CT. A pilot training flight logbook for “Ruth Powers White”, also known as “Mrs. William Powers” of Washington, D.C. In the log, Mrs. Powers accrues 22 hours and 35 minutes of total flight time. The log records detailed information on her various aircraft and flight locations. She and her instructors made brief remarks on her progress. Mrs. Powers completed her first solo flight on March 27, 1941. The log is blank after an entry for June 24, 1941. The log also contains a loose sheet of paper with descriptions of flight hand signals. It is in pristine condition, and is a remarkable register of one woman’s efforts 38 years after the birth of flight.

DURING THE CIVIL WAR, A LOUISIANA HEADMISTRESS BEGS A UNION GENERAL FOR A TRAVEL PASS TO NEW YORK: “WILL YOU OBTAIN FOR ME FROM THE WAR DEPT A PASS FOR MYSELF & MAID TO N. YORK ON A GOVNT TRANSPORT?”

(CIVIL WAR IN LOUISIANA).  ALS. 2pgs. April 5, 1864. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. An autograph letter signed “Matilda Victor”. Victor wrote to Major General Benjamin F. Butler (1818-1893) in Fort Monroe, Virginia, asking his help is securing her a pass to travel to New York for free. She also mentions Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (1814-1869). Victor was the Headmistress of St. Mary’s Academy, a Catholic girls’ school in Baton Rouge. “General: Will you obtain for me from the War dept a pass for myself & maid to N. York on a Govnt Transport? Major General Banks wrote to Mr. Stanton requesting a pass for me. I enclose his letter to a certain Col., a friend of mine then at Washington, requesting him to present the letter in person. He had left Washington & I presume the letter has gone to the dead letter office. Gen. B. is now in the field & I know of no alternative but to ask this fresh act of kindness from you. I must go to W. with my papers. I have not the means to meet the expenses of a private steamer. Gen. B. asked for me a free pass stating his reasons for so doing. It is unfortunate that his letter has been lost, of course, Sec. Stanton would not notice any application which I should personally make. I am ashamed General, to ask so much from you. For this & the kindness which you have already shown me I can but pray that God may repay for me; if not to yourself, then, to your own child, if ever she is so unfortunate as to need kindness as much as I have in the past two years. Yours with respect & gratitude, Matilda Victor”.  A docket on the back in another hand directs Victor to a Chief Doctor in New Orleans who could give her transportation. The letter is in very good condition with a large but light stain through all pages.

A NEW YORK STATE WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE LEAFLET

(SUFFRAGE).  Leaflet. 1pg. N.d. [probably early-20^th century]. 303 5^th Avenue, New York City. A printed, unengrossed leaflet from The New York State Woman Suffrage Party. It invited interested parties to fill out some basic information and state that they “…believe that the vote should be granted to the Women of New York…”. It is in fine condition.

(SUFFRAGETTE).  ALS. 4pg. November 11, 1915. New York.  An autograph letter signed “Margaret” to Mr. Mussa to Philadelphia: “…Here in N.Y. there was a great excitement over the suffragette and a week before election they had a wonderful parade but after all there [sic] hard work it didn’t do them any good for they were badly defeated here – you should have seen the excitement on Broadway that might well I suppose it was about the same in Philadelphia.  Did you give them a vote?  No doubt you have met my aunt last Sunday in Philadelphia they were going to go.  I hope you had a nice time together.  I was home all day…”.  The original mailing envelope is included.

A DRAWING OF THE BRITISH SUFFRAGIST DAME CHRISTABLE PANKHURST CARRYING A “VOTES FOR WOMEN” SIGN FROM 1917

DAME CHRISTABEL PANKHURST (1880-1958).  Dame Pankhurst was a British suffragist who co-created the Women’s Social and Political Union.  Early in life, she received a law degree but was not allowed to practice because of her gender.  She later moved to the United States.

Ink drawing. 4” x 5”. No place [likely England]. June 1917.  A pen and ink drawing of the noted suffragist Christabel Pankhurst.  The caricature shows her carrying a large “Votes For Women” sign above her head; the artist misspelled her name.  The drawing was done by the British artist Herbert Blake Mellelieu and he also signed his drawing and dated it 1917 at the time of Pankhurst’s maximum political power.  It is houses in a wooden frame with a gilt wooden interior layer.

A PRO-SUFFRAGE DRAWING BY A BRITISH MALE ARTIST, ASKING “WHY NOT?”

(SUFFRAGE DRAWING). Ink drawing. 4” x 6”. September 26, 1908. No place [likely England].  A colorful ink drawing of a bespectacled British suffragist; she holds an umbrella in one hand and a “Votes For Women” sign in the other hand.  The artist, George Pearman, signed this on September 26, 1908 and wrote the obvious question, “Why not?”.  The umbrella may have been a symbol that the suffragists were protesting in sun and rain.  The drawing is matted in medium blue and framed in gold wood.