Women on the Chautauqua Circuit: Winsome Lasses and Ardent Advocates (by Kären M. Mason, Iowa Women’s Archives, University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City)

To celebrate the release of Laurie Loewenstein’s debut novel, Unmentionables, we’ve invited organizations to share with us some history related to aspects incorporated in Unmentionables. Set in 1917, Unmentionables tells the story of Marian Elliot Adams, an advocate for women’s rights who travels across the country on the Chautauqua Circuit, giving talks about the need for women to abandon constricting “unmentionables.” Today, Kären M. Mason at the Iowa Women’s Archives shares information about women on the Chautauqua Circuit in the early 20th century, and photos of women during the time.