Group of women

This was one of many family photographs donated by the Linden/Leo family who lived on the East Side. The unnamed women in this photograph appear to be enjoying a “women’s night out.” Although many assume that women who lived in formerly industrial communities like Southeast Chicago were downtrodden, family accounts reveal the centrality and humor of women despite hardships. Historians also point out the growing role of young women as both workers and consumers of popular culture and entertainment in the early 20th century.