State Library Jewel #3: suffrage leader’s scrapbook

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Early this week, we began our “State Library Jewels” blog series to show off some of the many interesting items and collections found in the State Library. The first jewel we presented was a 1924 Washington road map, followed by a list of motor vehicle owners in 1912. Our third piece to be showcased is the scrapbook of Clara Watson Elsom, a leading activist in the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Inside the scrapbook (pictured here) is Elsom’s own collection of newspaper articles, photographs, letters and notes, as well as the obituary of Emma Smith DeVoe, president of the Washington Equal Suffrage Association and state organizer for a women’s voting group called NAWSA. The scrapbook was assembled in no particular order, but does contain several bits of memorabilia ranging from October 22, 1908, to August 27, 1938. On Friday, we’ll have our online poll up and running so you can vote on your favorite State Library Jewel for January. (We originally ran the blog series in 2012. Due to its popularity, we’re bringing it back for an encore performance!)