Victoria Fischer M.A.

Exhibitions by and for women in the 19th century that are not placed in the context of world exhibitions have been studied only sporadically and almost exclusively in national contexts. This renders an important means of communication for the dissemination of modern, emancipatory ideas and conceptions almost entirely unnoticed. The dissertation project addresses the significance of such exhibitions in a transnational context as a medium through which women could take a public stand and advocate for their concerns. Following on from this, the significance of such connections for emancipatory interests outside the organised women's movements will be illuminated. Against this backdrop, German and British exhibitions will be examined, revealing a central layer of the close cultural ties between Britain and the German Empire. The exhibitions considered, which were largely developed and realised by women towards the end of the 19th century, interpret and present the subject of female (paid) labour in multiple ways. On this basis, in a second step, networks of individual and collective actors are analysed to illustrate the emergence of an expanded scope for action.