The field of electricity has been so long and so peculiarly a man’s field that it is not surprising to find that in the 5 groups and 24 classes which the Department of Electricity at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition comprised, only 2 exhibits were made by women, both of whom were Americans.

One of these exhibits was made by Mrs. Alexander Baumgard, of New York City, and showed an automatic advertising figure actuated by an electric motor.  The figure was that of a woman standing before a rack on which were a number of signs.  The figure stooped, picked up one of the signs, raised it, turned a quarter way around in order to display it to the best advantage, and replaced the sign.  The next movement took up the next sign, and so on.  The mechanism was actuated by an electric motor, which, by means of a series of cams and gears, caused it to go through the various movements.  The value of the device was considered very small, as there are other more effective means of advertising of this kind, and no award was given Mrs. Baumgard.

The other exhibit by a woman was made by Mrs. Blodgett, and consisted of ornamental shades for electric lights, painted by hand.  These shades were quite artistic in themselves, and were well installed, so the exhibit was awarded a bronze medal.

    In neither of these exhibits was there any invention or process
    which was original.

In the electrical industry there is practically no machine or apparatus made without the assistance of women or girls, as they are employed in every electrical factory for insulating and winding coils, etc.  In the manufacture of these the percentage of women’s work is from 3 to 10 per cent.  But aside from this purely mechanical work women have contributed little or nothing to the advancement of the application of electricity, either before the Chicago Exposition or during the past eleven years.

Department G, Transportation Exhibits, Mr. W.A.  Smith, Chief; Miss Rose Weld, Newport News, Va., Department Juror.

Miss Weld is a graduate of the Boston School of Technology and now in the employ of the Newport News Shipbuilding Company.

This department comprised 6 groups and 33 classes, the group headings being:  Carriages and wheelwrights’ work; Automobiles and cycles; Saddlery and harness; Railways, yards, stations, freight houses, terminal facilities of all kinds; Material and equipment used in the mercantile marine; Material and equipment of naval services, naval warfare; Aerial navigation.

Miss Weld briefly reports: 

As a department juror I saw the papers of every exhibitor, and there were no exhibits by women in this department in any of the 33 classes, but not coming in contact with any of the exhibitors I can give no exact information about the work done by women in the manufacture or construction of the exhibits.

Department H, Agriculture, Mr. Frederic W. Taylor, Chief; Mrs. Richard P. Bland, Lebanon, Mo., Department Juror.