Finding aid for the Ophello Club Records

History of the Ophello Club

The Ophello Club (f. 1902) was a women's literary and social club founded in East Cleveland, Ohio. Originally affiliated with the First Presbyterian Church, the number of members grew quickly from the first six women even as the club evolved from a community aid society into a study club. In 1906 the club organized formally as a union of young women in East Cleveland devoted to study and to social entertainment, In addition to periodic (usually monthly) meetings in which the programs focused on literature and history, club members also presented plays and organized social events such as informal picnics and formal Colonia teas. During the World War I era, contemporary issues such as care of the poor, child labor, and prison reform were addressed in addition to efforts to learn Spanish under the tutelage of a teacher from Shaw High School. With the end of the war, club members turned their attention to art and began their thirty-two year association with the Cleveland Museum of Art. Through the use of the museum as a regular meeting place and the museum staff as advisors, the club concentrated increasingly on the museum collections as the focus of study. During the 1930s, they began hosting field trips throughout the state of Ohio to such places of interest as the Heisey Glass Works in Newark, Ohio, and the potteries of Zanesville. Over the next twenty years, their study of art expanded to include hobbies, foreign travel, and culture, but always within the parameters of artistic expression. In 1952, they held their Golden Anniversary luncheon, celebrating their long association with the museum and their longer association with each other.

Scope and Content

The Ophello Club Records, 1902-1952, consist of a scrapbook compiled for the club's fiftieth anniversary. It contains a year-by-year historical sketch and programs featuring officer lists, presentation titles, and meeting dates.

This collection pertains primarily to the women's club movement and women's friendships in the first half of the twentieth century. It provides a glimpse of women's concerns during the World War I era and their efforts to educate themselves culturally, while hinting at their views of recreation and friendship as they themselves matured.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4418 Ophello Club Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Jack Brown, 1979.

Processing Information

Processed by Bari Oyler Stith, 1989.