Jennifer A. Lemak is Chief Curator of History at the New York State Museum. She is the author of Southern Life, Northern City: The History of Albany’s Rapp Road Community and (with Robert Weible and Aaron Noble) An Irrepressible Conflict: The Empire State in the Civil War, both also published by SUNY Press.
Ashley Hopkins-Benton is a Senior Historian and Curator at the New York State Museum and the author of Breathing Life Into Stone: The Sculpture of Henry DiSpirito.
“The catalog’s greatest strength lies in the images it contains on a wide array of topics, from portraits and photos of suffrage leaders to memorabilia and important texts and documents. Such images would be useful in teaching, providing students with a sense of the organization required and the pageantry associated with the movement.” ― H-Net Reviews (H-FedHist)
“Featuring nearly a dozen essays from leading scholars in women’s studies, the book serves as a major contribution to the story of how New York’s women achieved the right to vote.” ― Hudson River Valley Review
“The richly illustrated companion book co-edited by Lemak and Hopkins-Benton contains their master narrative along with a series of monographic essays authored by consultant scholars ... the volume will be extremely useful to those teaching and studying women’s history in high schools and colleges.” ― Antiques And The Arts Weekly
“There is something intimate, inspiring, and strengthening about seeing words created by and names in the handwriting of women who fought the earlier stages of the struggle for equality and shared humanity that is so crucial today. I’m grateful for this exhibit and catalog that are just the kind of reminder we need to keep going.” ― Gloria Steinem
“The New York State Museum has put on an extraordinary exhibit to commemorate the women’s suffrage movement and the Nineteenth Amendment, and I hope it inspires a new generation of women and men to raise their voices about all the injustices in their lives.” ― Kirsten Gillibrand, United States Senator for New York State
“Congratulations to Jennifer Lemak and Ashley Hopkins-Benton for their wonderful book, Votes for Women. The book, and the exhibition upon which it is based, are great gifts from the authors to all New Yorkers who seek to learn more about the varied and vital role women have played in history. The stories and images included in the book bring the valiant women who came before us vividly to life and challenge us to continue their fight for full equality for women.” ― Pam Elam, President of the Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Statue Fund