In this essay Mickey Herr examines women’s roles and social norms through the history of a dollhouse spanning seven generations

Mickey Herr takes a look at the Wistar Rat, a true Philly original, and the groundbreaking female biologist that helped standardize science

In honor of Women’s History Month, Mickey Herr pays tribute to Frances Anne Wister, Philadelphia’s first historic preservation activist

Ralston Center, a former Victorian residence for aging women on Chestnut Street, commemorates 200 years of service for the elderly with wellness programs and community outreach. Karen Chernick has the story

Contributor Karen Chernick checks in at the Pennsylvania headquarters of the Colonial Dames of America where the Spirit of ’76 is alive and kicking

In Northeast Philadelphia, the spirit of the suffrage movement lives on at Cranaleith. The late Victorian home was designed by architect Minerva Parker Nichols for both a family home and a meeting place for women’s rights activists during the late 19th century. The property is now home to the Sisters of Mercy and the Cranaleith Spiritual Center. Contributor Sarah Kennedy gives us the tour

In this second installment of our three-part series on the life and work of groundbreaking female architect Minerva Parker Nichols we trace the origins and apex of her brief, dynamic career

Philadelphia architect Minerva Parker Nichols was the first independent female practitioner in the trade and the first female member of the AIA, earning acclaim in the region and across the country. To celebrate the recent addition of Mill-Rae, a Nichols-designed Victorian home with deep women’s suffrage ties, to the National Register of Historic Places we present this first installment in a three-part series to honor her life and work