One hundred years ago on Nov. 2, 1920, Norfolk women cast their ballots in a presidential election for the first time. This photograph is a timely reminder of the long struggle fought by many dedicated women for basic civil liberties including the right to vote. Pictured at the annual convention of the Connecticut Woman Suffrage Association in Bridgeport in 1911, these women are not identified by name. History tells us, however, that they were articulate, educated citizens, knowledgeable about both national and international affairs. And the Norfolk connection? The bearded man standing near the upper right corner of the group is the now legendary Norfolk architect Alfredo Taylor, one of the founders of the Men’s Suffrage League of Connecticut. He and his wife, Minna, were active supporters of the cause. 

—Text by Ann Havemeyer