Museum Archives

Exhibits & Activities - 2003 (click on links to view details)

 2003 Opening Exhibit Highlights

The opening exhibit introduced visitors to the 2003-2004 programs.  Reaching around the world and traveling in time to the past, the present, and the future, dramatic and informative exhibits illustrate women at work in a variety of settings and demonstrate how skills in math, science, engineering and technology expand career options.

Modeled on the Woman at Work Exhibit, developed in 1996 by Katherine Honey, the Museum is supported by representatives of more than 50 organizations that assisted the Exhibit as it traveled around the country. The purpose of the Museum is to honor the achievements of women and their contributions to the communities in which they lived and worked, expecially in areas of math, science, engineering and technology.

Women at Work Photography Exhibit

Photographs represent women at work together as intelligent decision-makers using math, science, engineering and technology (MSET) in the workplace. Photographs highlight how skills in MSET expand career opportunities in all fields of endeavor.

Honorable Service of Women in Peace and War

This exhibit featured memorabilia, oral histories, living histories and photographs. The exhibit illustrated the honorable service of women in supportive roles and active duty in the military. Developed in conjunction with women veterans and veteran organizations.

Women Doing Physics: Past, Present & Future

The “Women Doing Physics” display was created for the Centennial of the American Physical Society (APS) in 1999.  In an effort led by Beverly Berger, then Chair of the APS’s Committee on the Status of Women in Physics, a collection of photos, both historical and modern, was assembled depicting women physicists actively pursuing their craft.  The historical photos were selected from the collection of the American Institute of Physics’ Emilio Segrè Archives.  The modern photos were snapshots contributed by readers and friends of the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics.

Things to be Corrected, Things to be Appreciated, The Photography of Lewis Hine

Working life in Southern New England at the beginning of the twentieth century chronicled by the premier reform minded photographer of the era, Lewis Hine. Presented by Slater Mill, A  Living History Museum

Visible Work, Invisible Women: Women & Work in Rural India

An exhibition of photographs by award-winning journalist P. Sainath. These photographs from ten states across India — chiefly Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Jharkand, and Tamil Nadu from 1993 to 2001. The exhibit, (accompanied by a narrative) focus on the labor performed by poor women under back-breaking conditions in the paddy fields, brick kilns, quarries and forests. Their labor is worth billions of dollars each year, yet, conventional economists fail to acknowledge and capture their contributions. The exhibit is sponsored by the women in the photographs who gave freely of their time and labor and is hosted by the Association for India's Development - Boston Chapter.  This exhibit has been viewed internationally by over 350,000 people.

Reviews: "Gender bias, exploitation, violation of minimum wages stipulations, outdated laws, Sainath brought all these out — through pictures, but more with words and numbers. The most engaging photograph and bewitching visual was that of three innocent young girls carrying a bucket trekking through the fields in Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) hunting for pests." The Hindu, India's National Newspaper

"The pictures, shot in the poorest regions of ten states across the country by journalist P. Sainath, show the astonishing labour that poor women put in every day of  their lives and the gigantic - yet unacknowledged - contribution they make to the national economy. Each often panels deals with different kinds of work that women do. The text details the scope, significance and centrality of that labour to the Indian economy, particularly to agriculture. There are no clichéd hand-to-mouth, begging bowl photographs in this exhibition. Instead, these are pictures of enormous strength and dignity. Far more representative of the overwhelming majority of the poor, seeking employment and opportunity rather than pity or charity, these are pictures placing women's labour at the centre of the rural Indian family's survival strategies." Irhish Aid Conference, National University of Ireland, Galway, Dept. of Foreign Affairs

Reclaiming Our Heritage: Women's History 1850

In 1850, women and men from across the country gathered in Worcester, Massachusetts to consider the rights of women.  The exhibit illustrates the role women from Massachusetts and Rhode Island played in organizing this important event.  Created by Carolyn Howe.  Sponsored by the Worcester Women’s History Project.

Every Woman's Voice: 125 Years of Women's Leadership

This exhibit featured 125 photographs of influential and powerful women in Massachusetts today. Presented by the Women's Union.