Nellie Tayloe Ross, director of the U.S. Mint, at her farm on Solomon's Island, Maryland, July 29, 1938

On July 29, 1938 Harris & Ewing photographed Nellie Tayloe Ross, Director of the United States Mint, at her newly purchased 100 year old home on a 200 acre farm. She is depicted examining tomatoes on an ornate iron bench while wearing work clothes.

Courtesy of Library of Congress, Harris & Ewing, "Director of mint relaxes on newly acquired farm...," 29 July 1938

Description

Nellie Tayloe Ross, director of the U.S. Mint, was taken on July 29, 1938, by Harris & Ewing. Ross is shown on her newly-purchased 100-year-old home on a 200-acre farm. She is examining tomatoes on an ornate iron bench while wearing work clothes.

Source-Dependent Questions

Judging by the title of this image and the evidence found within the image itself, how does Nellie Tayloe Ross (the first female governor of any state and the first female director of the U.S. Mint) defy the assumed gender roles seen in earlier sources?
Previous sources like “Election Day!” (1909), “Warning to Suffragists” (1915) and “The Lid Is Off Again” (1904) warned that the right to vote and participation in government would defeminize women. Has a successful career in politics defeminized Ross? Defend your position using specific evidence from the photograph.

Citation Information

Harris & Ewing, "Director of mint relaxes on newly acquired farm. Solomon's Island, MD, July 29. Director of the Mint, Nellie Tayloe Ross, finds rest and relaxation from her arduous Treasury duties on her newly acquired 200 acre farm here. She is pictured among her 60,000 tobacco plants which are soon to be harvested. The house on the farm is over 100 years old," 29 July 1938. Courtesy of Library of Congress