Idah Pratt Scrapbook, 1912-1967

2 linear feet; 1 container
Idah Sidonia Ambuhl Pratt Foster was born in Farina, IL in 1884. Pratt published and edited a small paper in Redondo Beach, CA, called the Redondo Breeze around 1915. She also wrote for the San Francisco Times on occasion. Idah Pratt was always involved in women’s rights and was active in the referendum drive to win the vote for women in California. She married Carol Howe Foster, an English instructor at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Eventually, her husband served as U.S. Consul General in Brazil and South Africa. In the mid-1940s, always the activist, Pratt worked for passage of legislation benefiting consular officers’ widows for whom, at that point, there were no annuity arrangements. At 81, she became a member of the National Women’s party and was elected to the National Council in 1965. She eventually became the National Finance Chairman. Idah Pratt died at age 83 in 1967 in Maryland.

This collection is composed of the contents of one scrapbook. Constructed by Idah Sidonia Pratt Foster out of a folder sample book, the scrapbook contains a wide variety of material. There are photographs from the Panama-California Exposition in 1915, showing buildings and people, as well as articles mentioning Pratt’s involvement with the expo. Correspondence and articles are also included in the scrapbook. The scrapbook spans the dates 1912-1916. Also in the collection is a copy of Pratt’s obituary laminated on a prayer card and copies of her newspaper, Redondo Breeze.

The collection is divided into four series: Scrapbook, Redondo Breeze, Loose Clippings, and Obituary on Prayer Card. The collection is contained in one box, located in the Library and Research Center.

Finding Aid for the Idah Pratt Scrapbook as PDF