Investigations

Women's Suffrage Painting

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The Case:

Twenty years ago, a woman from League City, Texas bought what appears to be a watercolor painting at a garage sale.

The image is of a trumpeting herald on a horse, and printed on it are the words "Official Program Woman Suffrage Procession Washington D.C. March 3, 1913."

Our investigation sheds light on the day before Woodrow Wilson's Presidential Inauguration, when as many as 8,000 women descended on the steps of the Capitol, marching for suffrage.

National media accounts testify to the galvanizing effect the spectacle had on the public. Remarkably, though, the event was organized in just nine weeks.

In the Suffragettes' rush to define their image, who was the illustrator they turned to? Is this image original and what role did it play in securing women the right to vote?

History Detectives searches for the mystery artist whose work helped culminate the 72-year battle for women's suffrage.

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Aired:
Season 5, Episode 1

Detective:
Gwen Wright Location:
Cambridge, Massachusetts and Washington D.C.

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