Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission

by Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission

Superior Jury.

Mrs. Philip N. Moore, of St. Louis, Mo., was appointed to represent the board of lady managers on the superior jury, and in a general résumé of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Mrs. Moore says:

If the organization of a world's exposition begins years before its doors open, if public opinion changes in a decade, it may be well, before summing up the work of women at St. Louis, to look first at the record of achievement from Chicago in 1893 through Atlanta, Nashville, Omaha, Paris, and Buffalo, all of which led gradually to the high plane upon which we now stand.

Segregation of the sexes was the limited understanding of most of those in charge of former expositions. Not for a moment would I imply by this statement that there was a desire to give the work of women a lower grade than that of men; rather was it the mistaken idea of drawing attention to it, as something better and apart. By this very means there was often a serious and hurtful comparison, since many women with undoubted ability would not thus place their exhibits. It implied that in the special group, where exhibit was made, woman's mind differed from that of man's to the extent that there was also a difference in the result.

We owe sincere thanks to the progressive men in charge of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, that they listened with intelligent appreciation to the plea from women for equal representation, wherever their work was found worthy.

There is no mistaking the dignified effect of this edict, and only the best in various lines gained admission to the exhibit palaces.

In most exhibits the larger proportion was presented by men; and in similar proportion the awards were assigned. There was, however, no distinction made as to sex; and the members of the various juries, including women, paid as careful attention to the one exhibit as to the other, without reference to name, often the only indication of sex.

There were some art, educational, and economic exhibits, placed entirely by women, showing marvelous adaptability to the limitations of environment, and also skill in artistic and practical setting. Looking closely at the work in the several departments, my opinion is that, while woman has not gained greatly in inventive or constructive arts, she has gained breadth in the applied arts and has grown immeasurably in freedom of execution. This has been obtained partly by the contact with man's work, extending through many centuries in advance, and partly by the very fact that she must now stand only on her own merits.

Women from foreign lands entered into competition in the departments of art, education, and liberal arts to a very slight extent, with some investigation in science, but in all a very small proportion. This was natural, on account of the great distance, and may be applied equally to the number of exhibitors from across the water, whether men or women.

American women were found in nearly every field open to competition, though it was the apparently proud statement of the director of Mines and Metallurgy that there were no women on his juries, which meant, of course, no exhibit. (NOTE.—Mrs. M.G. Scrutchin was evidently appointed after this statement.)