Mothers of Confederation Poster

The feminist newsletter Broadside published this photo collage titled “Mothers of Confederation” in 1980. It appeared on the cover of a special double issue on the constitution (Vol. 2 Nos. 1 &2 Oct/Nov). The National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC) used the image to promote its AGM and the poster was widely distributed.

The original photo montage was created by Moira Armour. A key identifying the women in the collage accompanied the image in Broadside. In the urgency to bring the issue to publication, not everyone’s face was correctly identified.

Recent efforts by Naomi Black and Louise Carbert have resulted in a revised identification key (see below) Asterisks indicate those of Moira Armour’s original identifications that could be verified. Those they could not identify retain Moira’s wording, in quotes. The terms possibly and probably reflect the degree of consensus among those consulted. Minor errors in spelling, etc. were also corrected. Please contact Rise Up if you are able to contribute additional identifications.

01. *Fiona Nelson
02. *Anne Johnston
03. *Angela Miles
04. “Union Woman” unidentified
05. Possibly Jane Rule
06. *Abby Hoffman
07. *Mary Eberts
08. Not Mary Eadie; unidentified
09. *Judith Davidson-Palmer
10. Not Ceta Ramkhalawansingh; unidentified
11. *Penney Kome
12. *Senator Ione Christensen
13. *Margaret Atwood
14. “Unknown” unidentified
15. *Myrna Mather
16. *Dr. Augusta Stowe-Gullen
17. “Joan Pakota” unidentified
18. Possibly Nellie McClung
19. *Senator Muriel Fergusson
20. Not Elsie Gregory MacGill; unidentified
21. Not Shelagh Wilkinson; unidentified
22. *Erna Paris
23. *(Mme.)Marcelle Ferron
24. “Native Woman” unidentified
25. *Hellie Wilson
26. *Rosemary Brown
27. “Nac Member” unidentified
28. “Native Woman” unidentified
29. Not Margaret Laurence; unidentified
30. Possibly Grace Hartman
31. “Unknown” unidentified
32. Possibly Chaika Waisman
33. Possibly Gunta Gutmanis
34. “NAC Member” unidentified
35. Probably Nora Rodd
36. “Inuit Woman” unidentified
37. *Kay Macpherson