The Ebell Institute for the Study of Women’s History in LA | March 27

Wednesday, March 27, 2024 — 9:00 am

The Ebell Institute exists to cultivate dialogue around Women’s History in Los Angeles and is grounded in the belief that “one cannot be what one cannot see.”

The Ebell Women’s Symposium aims to enrich public awareness of the historical Los Angeles women who have played pivotal roles in shaping our city culturally, politically, socially and beyond.

Join us for this fascinating exploration of the voices of contemporary female scholars and artists whose contributions have too often been omitted from history books or overlooked in the public sphere. These untold stories have helped shape our community and continue to do so for the future generations.

Keynote: Conversation with Lisa See and Dr. Meredith Drake Reitan
Focus on women’s experience and history expressed through collections and artifacts

Panel #1: Businesswomen and Builders

Agnes Richards and the Advancement of Women’s Mental Health Care in the Early 20th Century
Presenter: Joanna Linkchorst

A Week in the Life of Florence Schmidt or Every Shero Needs A Sidekick
Presenter: Jenna Snow

Remembering Simona Martinez Bradbury
Presenter: Victoria Bernal

Bridget “Biddy” Mason: Early Civil Rights Activist
Presenter: Maiya Williams Verrone

Panel #2: Creating the Culture of Los Angeles

Sheroes and Anti-Sheroes: Dorothy Chandler, Grace Simons and the Remaking of Postwar Los Angeles
Presenter: Andrea Thabet, Ph.D.

Madame Wong and the Height of LA Punk Rock
Presenter: Lindsay Stidham

Valeska Gert
Presenter: Jacqueline Davis, Ph.D. candidate

Out of Oblivion: The Women of Early 20th Century Los Angeles Dance
Presenter: Alison D’Amato, Ph.D.

Panel #3: The Women who built Hollywood—hosted by American Film Institute

Sarah Blankfort Clothier from the American Film Institute will moderate a panel of three Los Angeles-based film historians – Emily Carman, Sloan De Forest and Maya Montañez Smukler – who will discuss the role of women in the early Hollywood, the evolution of female filmmakers in the Golden Age of American cinema, and the continuing contributions of women throughout the 1970s until today. Included in the talk will be clips of short films.