There were very few women who went their own way in life by defying societal norms during the Victorian Era. The story of Emily Warren Roebling and the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge shows the resolve 19th Century women had in the face of adversity. This exhibit celebrates those few women who had the tenacity to go against the status quo by making sacrifices for the greater good in NYC and beyond. The design of our exhibit was inspired by our virtual trip with the Brooklyn Museum. We plan on using images, maps, primary sources, student artwork and video to tell the stories of these inspiring women who are worthy of recognition in our curriculum.

Our Hidden Voice individual is Emily Warren Roebling (September 23, 1843 – February 28, 1903) . John Roebling (Emily’s father-in-law) and Washington Roebling (Emily’s husband) had originally signed up to connect Brooklyn and Manhattan across the East River with a massive bridge. Emily took on the responsibility of completing the bridge when her father-in-law passed away and her husband developed caisson sickness. Our group decided to study transportation in New York City from 1800-1900, Emily’s time period. It was important for our curator crew to discover the options to cross the East River before and after the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. Due to Emily’s dedication and perseverance two massive boroughs were united to help build New York City into an economic superpower.

Emily Warren Roebling's relationship to Brooklyn was through her husband. Washington Roebling was known for creating a lot of famous suspension bridges. That’s why he became the Chief Engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge, which Emily later took on the role of. Early when the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge started Washington got injured on the job, which caused him to have “the bends” or “caisson disease”. He was unable to work or make decisions on what should be done with the bridge because he was too sick. Mrs. Roebling took full responsibility for finishing the project. It took 14 years to complete and it was revealed on May 24, 1883. This shows how a woman can do a man’s job.

We would like to present to you our version of the Brooklyn Bridge. We explored the shapes, colors, and lines we saw in the Brooklyn Bridge. We created our own using wires, glue, and popsicle sticks. First, we created the towers using squares and triangles. Next, we connected the towers with the road. Finally, we added diagonal lines for the suspension bridge. We hope you enjoy our presentation and project.

Free women in the United States in the 1800’s lived under many laws that discriminated against them. In the late 1800’s and early 1900s, women not only organized to obtain the right to vote, but they also worked for the right to manage their money and the right to an education that would lead to a career. Emily Warren Roebling was a woman ahead of her time. Although, Emily’s claim to fame was the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge, a landmark in our borough, she is the perfect example of what one can accomplish under limitations.

This exhibit focuses on women who created great things. We were inspired by our Hidden Voices individual, Emily Warren Roebling, who oversaw the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge. She was ahead of her time. We decided to research other women who were unsung heroes, or as we like to call them, SHEroes! These women made a big impact on the world.

Our exhibit examines the barriers women broke in order to build the bridges to equality. We were inspired by our chosen Hidden Voices individual, Elizabeth Warren Roebling. We decided to research this topic after learning that even when societal norms suggested women weren’t capable of handling the same workload as a man, the impossible turned to possible. As a result, this wonder became a symbol of inspiration for those looking to break barriers by building bridges.

We created this exhibit because we are entering the twenties again. This time around, it is the twenties of the 21st Century. The 1920s of the 20th Century was also known as the Roaring Twenties. The time was marked as a period of significant change for women.

We decided to look at all the women that began to roar before the twenties for our project.

Our Hidden Voices individual was Emily Warren Roebling. She was a pioneer in her time and was one of many women that “roared” before the twenties.