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Read in the context of the 21st century, this 1909 image (one of 12 produced as a set by Dunston-Weiller Lithograph Company of New York) might suggest support of the suffrage movement, but, to the eyes of a viewer of the day, it was decidedly anti-suffrage. Here are the clues:
1. red – a very lascivious color,
2. dress – a fashionable fitted form far from the style favored by
a pure and doting wife,
3. exposed ankles and petticoat,
4. posture – gives a glimpse of her derriere,
5. caption – she’s clearly prioritizing the ballot over the sacred
institution of marriage.
In sum, a woman seeking suffrage is nothing more than a scandalous, sexually available hussy exchanging her virtue for the vote.
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