Spirited Women: Grand Rapids and the Push for Temperance
by
Ruth Van Stee & Julie Tabberer
6 p.m. Tuesday, November 17
Meijer Theater, Grand Rapids Public Museum
Free with price of admission to the museum
Tomorrow, co-sponsored by the Grand Rapids Public Museum, GGRWHC researchers Ruth Van Stee and Julie Tabberer will show you the local scene during thirteen years of speakeasies and bathtub gin and tell the stories of area women during massive social movements surrounding the Prohibition years (1920-1933).
Spirited Women: Grand Rapids and the Push for Temperance will illustrate both the century before Prohibition, when Grand Rapids men and women had been pushing temperance as a solution to social ills intensified by the misuse of alcohol, and Prohibition itself during the Roaring Twenties in Grand Rapids.
Despite a disastrous legal experiment, the social effects of the broader temperance movement were long-standing. Before and after this presentation on the fascinating history behind "Beer City USA," check out the Grand Rapids Public Museum's exhibit American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. Click here to visit the exhibit's website.
Who are these men pictured above? Bootleggers or city fathers advertising that Grand Rapids is once more open for business? Find out Tuesday when we look at Grand Rapids' role in the run-up to Prohibition and its acknowledgement as a failed social experiment. See you on Tuesday!
Join us Friday, November 20
Suffragette Premiere in Grand Rapids!
Come to the movies with GGRWHC at Celebration North opening night Friday! After viewing Suffragette in our own theater, GVSU women's historian Gretchen Galbraith will discuss when the film is rooted in fact, when it slides into fiction, and how the British and American women's movements were related. In a cameo performance Meryl Streep appears as British suffrage leader Emmeline Pankhurst, while Carey Mulligan and Helena Bonham Carter play foot soldiers in the movement. Tickets are limited. If they sell out, please contact us and let us know of your interest at[email protected]. RSVP at EventBrite, $10: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/suffragette-tickets-19303778120
Remember to print your ticket from EventBrite and bring it with you. Look for our table in the lobby for up-to-the-minute information on opening night. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. and the 106-minute film will begin at 6:45 p.m. Come early! Cinema North: northwest corner of Knapp and the Beltline at 2121 Celebration Drive NE.
Not a current member of GGRWHC? Register or renew your membership and
help offset the expenses associated with annual research and programs. Your membership helps to set the record straight on the women who've made history here in our community.
GGRWHC Board Meetings
Board meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. at the Vanderveen Center for the Book at the Grand Rapids Public Library. If you have suggestions for programs, oral histories, or other items, please
email us or plan to attend a meeting.
Share the Newsletter with Your Friends
Forward this newsletter! Friends can sign up to receive it by clicking the button in the left hand margin. Don't assume they are with us--with every technological shift, we miss people.
Please take a moment to forward this message to others you know who may be interested in Women's History. If you've received this message as a forward, consider joining our mailing list (click on the button in the left column above!) in order to receive future updates about programming.
Thank you for your interest in preserving and celebrating the history of the many phenomonal women who've helped to shape West Michigan! If you aren't already a member of the Greater Grand Rapids Women's History Council, consider showing your support through annual membership. Visit our
web site for more information and the ability to register using Pay Pal online!
Hats off to the historical women who've shaped West Michigan!
