Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony

What it is

This black-and-white studio photograph shows two elderly women: one seated, looking down at papers, and one standing beside her, holding the same papers. The seated woman is Elizabeth Cady Stanton; the standing woman is Susan B. Anthony.

Why it matters

Stanton and Anthony worked together for about fifty years as leaders of the American women's suffrage movement. Stanton was known for her writing and ideas, while Anthony was known for organizing and campaigning; together they shaped much of the strategy and public voice of the movement. This photograph captures them late in life, still working together over documents.

Look closer

• What does the pose — one seated with papers, one standing and holding them — suggest about how the two women worked together?
• Why might a photographer have chosen this plain, formal studio setting for the portrait?
• What does a posed photograph like this tell us, and what does it leave out, about their working relationship?