Theme Three: Making the Most of Limited Choices:
The Life and Times of Florence Griswold

Florence Griswold’s life story presents a case study of a well-educated unmarried woman’s economic choices during this time. She struggled to define a sphere of activity that would allow her to remain in her family home and earn a living at a time when the options for women were limited. As both an anti-suffragette and close friend of Woodrow Wilson, Florence’s views on politics and modernity offer a view into the complexities of the day. Other women featured in the Museum’s core story include the largely Irish-American domestic staff, the wives of the painters, and in several instances, the female artists themselves.

Related Student Learning Goals:

• Students will understand the visual arts in relation to history and cultures.
  (Visual Arts Content Standard 4: History and Cultures)
  
  
• Students will make connections between the visual arts, other disciplines and daily life.
  (Visual Arts Content Standard 6: Connections)
  
  
• Students will develop historical thinking skills, including chronological thinking and recognizing change over time; contextualizing, comprehending and analyzing historical literature; researching historical sources; understanding the concept of historical causation; understanding competing narratives and interpretation; and constructing narratives and interpretation.
  (Social Studies Content Standard 1: Historical Thinking)
  
  
• Students will recognize the continuing importance of historical thinking and historical knowledge in their own lives and in the world in which they live.
  (Social Studies Content Standard 4: Applying History)
  
  
• Students will use spatial perspective to identify and analyze the significance of physical and cultural characteristics of place and world regions.
  (Social Studies Content Standard 9: Places and Regions)

Where to Find Theme-Related Information:

The best selection from the menu of Scholar Essays that addresses Theme 3: Making the Most of Limited Choices: The Life and Times of Florence Griswold

• Go to Miss Florence for information regarding the history of the Griswold family.

There are several sections of The Fox Chase site where students can investigate Theme 3: Making the Most of Limited Choices: The Life and Times of Florence Griswold.

• Go to Who’s Who in the Boardinghouse for information regarding the different roles played by the people who were part of the boardinghouse.

• Go to The Griswold House for information regarding the history of the house and Griswold family.

• Go to Imagine Yourself as an Artist for information regarding what a typical artist would experience arriving at the Griswold House.

• Go to The Harpist: A Portrait of a Lady for information regarding Miss Florence as model for members of the Lyme Art Colony.

• Go to The Fox for information regarding Miss Florence and her role with the Lyme Art Colony.

There are several sections of Resources for Educators site where students can investigate Theme 3: Making the Most of Limited Choices: The Life and Times of Florence Griswold.

• Go to Timeline for information regarding the development of the Lyme Art Colony along with other major historical moments.

• Go to Movie House to view all of the vintage film footage available from the Lyme Artists reels.