Women’s History Museum of California (WHM) is a nonprofit organization devoted to the history of women located in the Golden Hill neighborhood of San Diego, California. It is currently one of only five museums of women’s history in the United States and is the only one located on the West Coast.
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Founded in 1983 as the Women’s History Reclamation Project (WHRP) by Mary B. Maschal, the WHRP’s goal is to educate and inspire all generations about the history of women.[1] The WHRP collected historic documents, banners, posters, and books and opened their collection to the public in 1995 out of the home of the founder, Mary B. Maschal.[2] In 1997, the WHRP moved into the Art Union building in Golden Hill and changed its name to the Women’s History Museum and Educational Center in December 2003.
The museum presents its collection through changing exhibits and displays as well as a permanent collection that includes books, oral histories, and an archive of primary sources.
One of two permanent exhibits in the museum that gives a glimpse into the lives of women living in San Diego County a hundred years ago. The exhibit features pictures, documents, and audio narratives that covers mostly the lives of Indigenous, Latin American, Asian, and African American women.
The other permanent exhibit that includes clothing, photographs, books, memorabilia, and artifacts collected from the women's suffrage movement is displayed in the museum’s main gallery. The exhibit contains several items including a ten foot wool banner carried by suffragists and many letters from Susan B. Anthony among other famous suffragists.
A traveling exhibit of eleven eight-foot pillars that represent twenty two famous women who helped shape the history of America since the 1600s. The exhibit has been installed in libraries and schools throughout San Diego County, California
An expansive library located at the museum that holds over 5,000 books on women’s history dating from the 1800s to today. The museum also has a unique archive of a variety of primary sources used for exhibits and research. These archives offer a unique view of history using primary sources to cover the work of suffragists such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Alice Park, the political career of former California State Senator Lucy Killea, author Nancy Reeves, and a collection of material collected from various UN Conferences on the Status of Women.
Partnered with the Commission on the Status of Women, the University of California, San Diego Women’s Center, and the San Diego State Women’s Studies program in 2001, the museum helped create a Hall of Fame honoring women who have made a difference in the San Diego Community. The Hall of Fame exhibit is located at the Women’s History Museum and currently has fifty-nine members and adds each year.[3] Along with the Hall of Fame, the museum conducted video interviews to better tell the stories of the inductees.
The museum also offers educational programs and community events all year. Some annual events that the museum is involved with include: