This is the second in a series of articles dealing with the history of Venice between 1914 and 1916, prepared by students at Long Beach State University and published by the Beachhead in celebrating the 75th anniversary of this community.

This article deals with women in Venice. It is not all-inclusive since the local paper, the Vanguard (from which the facts for the article were gathered) was selective in the type of women's activities and therefore women it reports on. Significantly absent was information relating to working class and minority women, their interests, attitudes, and activities. The Venice women who made news appear to have been middle-class, Anglo women whose social life developed within the context of the 'women's club movement' while prevalent attitudes towards women expressed in the Vanguard were Anglo, male, and also middle class.

Research for this paper was gathered by Nancy Hogan, Art Kulhmann, Mark McIntire, Marilyn Cavanaugh, Ralph Migliozzi, John Habe, Kathleen MacAndrew, and Maureen Burns. The final paper was written by John Haber, revised and edited by Brenda Harney and Arnold Springer.

The early 20th century was a period of intensified struggle for women's rights. This struggle revolved, in large part, around the issue of suffrage, which was finally granted in 1920 with the passage of the 19th Amendment. This struggle found an echo in Venetian society. Though many Venetians recognized that women had been denied basic rights in the past, there was still debate concerning the extent to which women should be permitted to engage in political activity.

In California, women received the right to vote in local and state elections in 1911 (they voted for the first time in 1914.) But while women were allowed to vote in such elections they were excluded from voting in national elections.

In May 1916 the Venice Vanguard reported the defeat of the 19th Amendment in Iowa with no comment while it waxed ambiguous in an editorial on the subject of women in politics entitled "Situation is Serious":

"We may joke as we please over the great national movement of the women who are organizing a political party but when it comes to domination of petticoat politics throughout the nation it will cease to be a laughing matter. The situation will be extremely serious for the dominating lords of creation who, heretofore, have had everything about their own way in national, state, county and municipal affairs. The women of the United States are a power to be reckoned with in the future history of this country."

The paper reported a variety of attitudes and opinions on the women's suffrage movement. Mrs. Charles Whitmen, wife of the governor of New York, was quoted as follows: "I am not so interested in the actual attainment of the ballot for women as I am in the wonderful educational value such a campaign represents."

Venetian women became increasingly involved in local politics. The Vanguard praised the good government league (GGL) for involving women in the political process, allowing them to campaign, fundraise, and discuss issues.

But other women from another local political faction called the Citizens Protective League (CPL) were too involved for the Vanguard. These women were reportedly at the polls encouraging people to vote for the candidates of their faction. The paper suggested:

"If some women only put as much energy in the care of their homes and in making their husbands and families happy than they do in doing politics, what a land of happy homes we would be able to boast of."

In short, a women's place was in the home. The CPL women had gone too far. Women could vote and passively participate in local politics, but they weren't supposed to actively campaign for the opposition.

CLUB LIFE AND POLITICS

Social clubs provided the major vehicle through which women might become an effective force in community politics. This was true not only in Venice but throughout the United States during this period. The Vanguard had this to say about the development of the women's club movement:

"When the Women's Club movement first started, it was caricatured as made up of brainy women who were eccentric in their strong individuality. Club women were regarded as "bluestockings", strong-minded, agitators and propagandists, but not homekeepers and the kind of woman a man falls in love with.

Today the clubs appear to be less literary and more civic than formerly. In their earlier days, the principle energy was taken by study of literature and philosophy, and the preparation of papers on carious aspects of human knowledge...But meanwhile they might be wholly ignorant of the local conditions of the drains on the next street.

The modern Women's Club is more of a civic force. It is felt to be failing of its reason for being if it does not maintain a working social service department."

A major reason for this transition was the change in social composition of the clubs. They were begun by the "bluestockings" who put great emphasis upon the literary function of the clubs. But membership changed as the club movement spread across the country and non-professional, provincial, and middle-class women joined. With this change the nature of the clubs became more civic or political in emphasis, although the literary function was never completely disregarded. This change was reflected in California and in the club movement in Venice and Santa Monica.

In 1915 there was an important state convention of the California Federation of Women's Clubs which was held in San Francisco. The most important issue at this convention was whether politics should be kept out of the women's clubs. The representative from Venice, Mrs. W.H Anderson, spoke again the proposed amendment at the convention. It was subsequently defeated.

But Bay Area women were not all of one mind on this issue. Another point of view was expressed by Mrs. D. G. Stephens of Venice in her farewell speech to the membership of the Santa Monica Bay Women's Club. In that speech she stressed the social/civic as opposed to the political aspects of the club movement:

"We have tried to sift out non-essentials and give our attention to vital things.

This club had never endorsed political movements or taken an aggressive stand either for or against any issue, but has stood for the good and helpful in all lines of work...efficient members have made this club an important factor for good in our community.

If we would honor and protect the honorable profession of women - that of wife and mother, we must help create and maintain a healthy and clean environment....that will stimulate the youth to noble acts and high ideals.

We can and ought to enlarge our civic activities and child welfare for this club is dedicated to those things which make for better home conditions, more intelligent care of the child, a progressive, clean municipal life."

Mrs. W. A. Gannentine, a guest speaker from San Francisco, echoed the reformist sentiments of Mrs. Stephens. Speaking before the same club she chose as the topic for her lecture, "Utopia" (not reality) and spike about a future ideal federalist society in which politics and civics had the same meaning, in which there would be municipal ownership of public utilities, and a large measure of local control would exist. Her message to club members was...."the city beautiful should be our care."

POLITICAL ECOLOGY

But a retreat into "the city beautiful" did not guarantee that everything would be sweetness and light for women who wanted to become involved in community affairs. Politics and confrontation raised their ugly heads even on apparently simple environmental issues. The newspaper praised a Venice woman, Clara Dosch (a Socialist) who publicly called for more piers to be built in South Venice, that is the Peninsula area. She argued that the entire city should be taxed for such a municipal improvement project and was against taxing only the sub community nearest the improvements since all Venetians would benefit from them.

J. M. Herndon of Venice was of an opposite opinion. She wanted the city to prohibit and condemn all construction on the beaches west of the Speedway. She proposed a seaside park to be established on the Peninsula because, she said, the beach was a place for women and children to recreate and relax.

But if the definition of "politics" divided women, they were of one mind in their determination to be more involved in the social and political life of their community and nation. The local women's clubs continuously sponsored events which fed this desire. At a literary club luncheon, Mrs. Ben Kleiber contrasting the issues which led to World War I with the goals and objectives behind the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. At a meeting of the Venice Women's Club, Mrs. F. C. Bellows lecture on "International Problems of World Peace." Another woman lectured on the establishment of a women's peace party. Mrs. Joseph Walter, program chairperson for the Venice Women's Club, arranged for candidates running for local office to speak before the general membership. Pending state legislation was also discussed, for example a "red light abatement bill", a bill requiring all births to be registered, a child labor bill, a compulsory education bill which would have required foreign born mothers to take formal instruction in English and in the American way of life.

Women were steadily becoming more involved in politics, both state, local and national. But the focus of involvement and the degree to which they were prepared to push political equality split the women's movement, then just as now. Everyone had his/her opinion concerning the limitations that should be placed on this involvement. The Vanguard did not report that any person stood up for full, complete equality for women within the Venice community.

When women exceeded the slowly expanding bounds of political activity that the male-dominated society was willing to concede, they were criticized. Women had more "freedom" and were "tolerated" when they concerned themselves with civic issues and affairs. And it was especially important for a woman to voice her opinion about a civic issue within the context of a concerned mother.

THE SOCIAL SCENE FOR SOME

Along with the politically-oriented activity described above, the women's clubs offered a variety of social experiences. A partial list of the nearly 50 clubs found in the Vanguard illustrates their variety: the Browning Club, the Theosophical Society, the Book and Needle Club, Santa Monica Bay Chautauqua Literary and Science Circle, Women's Whist Club, Dramatic Club, Santa Monica Associated Charities, Santa Monca Bridge Club, Friday Morning Club, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy were just a few.

A wide range of topics were addressed buy these clubs. Mrs. Charles F. Holder spoke on the Channel Islands before the Santa Monica Bay Women's Club. Theodora Borghem discussed Tennyson's *Holy Grail, Mrs. Slater talked about her visit to Angel Island where Chinese women with bound feet were among the "curiosities" she saw.

The Landmark section of the Santa Monica Bay Women's Club, where early California history was the usual focus, was very popular. Papers such as "The Donner Party," "Dons of the Old Pueblos," and "Cahuenga" were presented.

Music and dancing events were also popular among the club women. The music section of the Santa Monica Bay Women's Club held recitals and discussions of composers such as Wagner. The Venetian Temple of Pythian Sisters sponsored a masquerade ball. The SMBWC held dances once a month, according to the paper, and invited only the "fashionable people" of the Bay area.

Fund raising for charity was also big. The sunshine society sponsored a series of teas to raise money for needy Bay Area families and the social service circle showed a film of the Yale-Harvard football game to raise funds for their work.

Social dancing was popular in Venice and women acted as instructors. Florence Knittle opened a studio for teaching children "fancy dancing" on Clubhouse Avenue. Elizabeth Randolph gave dancing lessons at the King George Hotel and Castle Apartments. Hayle Eyler and her partner Edward Allen White gave nightly dancing exhibits of the latest steps at the Venice Dance Pavilion, and Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Smith did the same at the Ocean Park Dance Pavilion.

Some of the more outrageous activities in which women participated included the Sawtelle Baby Show, where twenty-five prizes were awarded to babies conforming most nearly to standard measurements. At the Venice Skating Rink there was a "dress made out of newspaper" party where one woman boasted that her dress only took 8 pieces of newspaper.

SEX AND TOURISM

Because Venice relied on tourism it was necessary to ignore the traditional attitude that a woman's place was in the home. Sex was an attraction. Many concessions along the beach and piers were operated by female employees who helped attract male customers. But, as in the case of women who "overstepped the limits" in their political activity, men ultimately decided the limits of sexual exploitation in the service of the tourist trade. This was the case when Mayor Gerety of Venice proposed a municipal ordinance against the use of "endearing terms" by concessionists to attract customers, because he found such terms offensive.

Nonetheless women were projects out front in the promotion of Venice. Madame Stanley was a spiritualist, self-employed, on Ocean Front Walk near the pier. She and three other women were accepted as tourist attractions. But a fifth was denied a license by the trustees because, they concluded, four spiritualists were sufficient to reveal "all the future that would stand revealing." Rose Arnold was employed by stunt flyer Frank Stities as a parachute jumper. The Al G. Barnes Animal Show used several young women as animal trainers. Princess Radjah performed exotic "Cleopatra Snake Dances" in the amusement zone.

Women also participated in special events designed to attract large crowds to Venice. Canoe football, for example, was played in the lagoon with 10 women and 5 canoes to a side.

One of the annual events in Venice was the bathing suit parade, inaugurated in 1913, which officially opened the summer tourist season. The controversy aroused by this event in 1916 revealed a conflict within the community between the traditional attitudes about women and the "liberal" ones which emerged out of the desire for profits by business interests.

The parade, organized by amusement interests, was opposed by the Santa Monica Bay Ministerial Union. Protesting to the Venice Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trustees they charged that the parade was illegal (it violated a city ordinance prohibiting public appearance in a bathing suit without an outer cover), immodest, and detrimental to the best interests of the city." The union was opposed to "such amusements, advertisements and other interests as injure the moral, material and social welfare of the city." The Chamber of Commerce replied:

"We find that there is absolutely no element of immodesty existing. Becoming consumes on pleasant appearing and modest young women which were in thorough keeping with our principles as a beach resort city constituted the event....."

The Board of Trustees compromised. Succumbing to the immediate interests of the business community, they refused to cancel the parade because of the advanced stage of planning and organization but they placated the long term interests of the ministerial union by resolving not to sanction such a parade in the future. Apparently, that resolution was quickly forgotten.

CHILDREN, CHURCH and TROUBLE

The vast majority of women, however, were not directly involved in this controversy. They were occupied with the traditional duties of wife and mother, and a drumfirs of public reinforcement aimed at keeping things the same. An advertisement for *Today's Magazine* stated that the journal was devoted to "the greatest of all processionals wife, homemaker, and homekeeper." Another typical reference was made by Mrs. D. G. Stephens who spoke publicly of the "honorable profession of women- that of wife and mother." Mrs. John K. Miller lectured to a club meeting on "What every women should know: Raising a family and teaching one's children a system of morality, creating harmony physically and mentally in the home, and a mother's rule in teaching love."

Women were given a great deal of advice on how to raise their children via the local newspaper. They were advised to

"Take a middle course between helping your child and not helping your child at all." (sic). Mothers should be sure "to nip in the bud undesirable associations and....friendships that would bring no lasting happiness."

P.T.A. meetings were held regularly at the Island Avenue School. A typical item of discussion was "what parents can do to help the efficiency of the schools." The 1st district of the California Congress of Mothers of Los Angeles was attended by many Venetian women. Mrs. C.H. Ritchie of Venice presided over a meeting in which a decision was made to ask the county Civil Service Commission to investigate conditions at Juvenile Hall.

Marriage was the accepted, expected role for women. The state legislature even considered a measure to tax men and women who remained unmarried ten dollars in every year subsequent to leap year so as to encourage marriage.

Sex, Women, and scandal were the source of many sensational stories in the newspaper. Mrs. Ada Wyant apparently had good reason to suspect Clara Osborne of having an affair with her husband. Mrs. Osborne brought charges against Mrs. Wyant for having called her "that thing" at a Sawtelle Club meeting. The case was dismissed and Mrs. Wyant later filed for divorce, naming Mrs. Osborne as "the other woman."

Apparently a couple's living together was not unheard of in Venice. John Slater (17) and Lillian Thomas (16) were arrested for having lived together as "man and wife" for a month on Pier Ave. The girl was taken under the guardianship of the juvenile court as a delinquent.

Mrs. Luella Lamb of the Walgrove section of Venice, a well-known club woman and church worker, pled not guilty to a charge of bigamy. The trial was set for May 25, 1915. She did not appear and was held in default of $2,500 bail set by Judge Craig. Members of the St. Mark M. E. Church of Venice denied that she was in any way connected with the church.

Women were generally considered unable to fully participate in a man's world. The paper reported the views of Mae Robson to the effect that

"the people in this world who really amount to something and do the things that are big and worthwhile are perfectly natural and show none of the vagaries of temperament....which occur more often with women than men."

In a similar article, the Vanguard stated that women should be discouraged from going to college because it might have a bad effect on their health.

Then, as today, women were targets for criminal activity and male abuse generally. Mrs. Merchant was mugged by a man late one night on a dark street. A passerby heard her scream and came to help, but he arrived to late and could only escort her home. Mrs. Peter Priscello was beaten and cut up by her husband. When the police came to arrest him she asked them to calm him down and allow him to stay at home.

In Santa Monica there was a law forbidding the sale of liquor to alcoholics when relatives notified police of the problem. The law complemented a federal statute permitting wives and children of habitual drunkards to recover damages from saloon keepers who sold liquor to their husbands. In Venice a man was fined fifteen dollars for using profane language in the presence of women.

This protective attitude led many men to patronize women. Mrs. Wolfelt was driving her Pathfinder automobile at 40 m.p.h. When stopped by patrol officer Wright of Venice who "could not find it in him to arrest her as she smiled so beautifully...."

A great deal of "tongue in cheek" reporting about women reflected the attitude that they were weak minded but lovable ding-a-lings who required protection even from themselves. One such story reported the misfortunes of a Los Angeles woman, Miss B. Voorhees. While visiting Venice Beach she took off her shoes to wade in the water. After she tired of the water she retraced her steps to retrieve her belongings and discovered they were gone. "Did she cry? Well, what if she did? That is any woman's privilege when her return ticket is gone, but when she is confronted with a trip home barefooted staring her in the face, she has a perfect right to bawl if she wants too."

And the struggle continues.

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30 Years Ago in the Free Venice Beachhead

30 Years Ago in the
Free Venice Beachhead