I have a copy of a 1905 brochure for the
Alliance Bank of Rochester for its
women's department entitled "Bank Notes
for Women."

I am curious in whether there is an
implied connection to women's suffrage--
the title rhymes with "Votes for Women"
(and is not the most obvious title for
a pamphlet on women and banking), employs
the color yellow in the design (an
art nouveau rendering of vase with flowers
[much of suffrage ephemera used art nouveau
and yellow was a favored color in the US]),
and is for a part of the state that in
the mid-19th century had seen support for
women's vote.

Using women's suffrage to sell items
ranging from cereal to clothing was
common in the early 20th century and
the connection (if there) between the
department and suffrge is sufficiently
tenuous that it probably would not
have alienated wealthy women opposed
to suffrage [whom the department would
have also wished for as customers].

I know that the 1915 referendum in
New York is defeated and women don't
get the vote in NY until 1917.

Does anyone know anything about
Rochester politics, the history of
the Alliance Bank (now linked to
Chase Manhattan as the consequence
of several mergers), or suffrage
in New York state, to suggest that
the connection is or is not plausible.

I am also consulting with those
who are more familiar with suffrage
iconography, but I thought the
New York angle was worth exploring.

Thanks,

Nancy Robertson
IUPUI