Women's Night Out • A Rambunctious Glimpse at Saginaw Social Gatherings During the Suffragette Era

If you’re looking to take a whimsical step into the spirited social gatherings that took place in Saginaw between 1897 through approximately 1917, the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History has managed to pull together a fascinating new exhibition called Women’s Night Out comprised of a series of unusual photographs taken by world renowned pioneer Saginaw photographer Wallace Goodridge documenting the often racy and rambunctious meetings various Women’s Clubs and Theatrical groups held at the turn of the 20^th Century.

“We’re calling this exhibition Women’s Night Out, but it’s really a catch-all title because we can’t identify exactly what’s happening all of them,’ explains the museum’s outreach coordinator Jennifer Vannette. “They came to us as part of three different collections from different families, but were all identified as photos taken by Wallace Goodrich, so we always knew they had value from that perspective; but the other similarities they share within a historical context is they were all taken within the time frame when there was a national trend towards the formation of Women’s Clubs - not necessarily formal clubs like the Farm & Garden Association, but clubs that met in different member’s homes for purposes of getting together for partying and various entertainment.”

One common element these different sets of photos share is that many of the women in these pictures are dressed in men’s clothing, drinking libations and smoking cigars like they were stepping into the door of the future at Studio 54, and celebrating their bonds of camaraderie and companionship.

“An early article we found in the Saginaw Daily News back then suggests theatrical performance was just a part of these club’s regular meetings, but they would conduct business meetings with different from of entertainment that included dancing and music,” continues Vannette.

“From some of these photos we can tell they're doing costuming, so is it simply a costume party?   Is it a readers theater group that was also very popular in this timeframe, where you don't practice or rehearse or perform for the public, but you get together to dress up and play together?”  Many of these clubs didn’t have formal buildings so would meet in different member’s homes, but as part of this collection we do have four images that tell us one of these clubs was called the DNO Girls, only don’t know exactly what DNO stands for.”

Vannette says one possibility for this particular group is Daughters of the New Order, which fits into the context of the Suffragette Movement and how many of these groups would convene around the issue of women’s rights; but because news of these club sororities was infrequently published, they cannot be certain. “Some of these groups did all gather and stage performances around women’s rights, but other times it was simply theatrical and fun - like getting dressed up for Halloween. We do know they’re having fun and hamming it up for the camera to be sure.”

Breakthrough Revolution with Indoor Photography

An equally fascinating component to this exhibition is how these are some of the first indoor photos to surface during the early evolution of photography. The development of magnesium flash photography allowed Goodridge to take pictures in low-lit indoor spaces.

He used this technique sparingly due to its associated dangers - it produced an acrid smoke and it could start fires.  In 1897 A.E. Johnson developed. More practical method of using magnesium flash, and Goodridge adopted this ‘Safe, Clean, and Rapid Flash Machine’, which make it practical to take images inside the parlors of homes.

Women’s Night Out - a new exhibition at the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History will be on display throughout the holiday season. Hours are Sunday: 1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Monday - Wednesday: 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Thursday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Friday & Saturday: 10 a.m. - 4:30. Admission is FREE for all Saginaw County residents and non-residents is only $3.00 for an individual or $5.00 for a family and $2.00 for 65 and older. The museum is located at 500 Federal Ave. in Downtown Saginaw. You can reach them by phoning 989-752-2861.