March 8th is International Women’s Day! Today we honor Eleanor McClatchy, a pioneering woman in the printing industry and an avid collector of California history.
Eleanor McClatchy (1895 to 1980) was the granddaughter of James McClatchy. James McClatchy came to California in 1849 and became editor of The Daily Bee (later known as The Sacramento Bee) newspaper in 1857, the year it was founded. Eleanor went on to preside over the newspaper from 1936 to 1978. In addition to helping run the family newspaper business, Eleanor was an avid collector of California history, especially printed materials.
The collection Eleanor McClatchy acquired over the years was eventually donated to the City of Sacramento and the Center for Sacramento History. Many of the items in our print shop exhibit, such as our Washington hand press, are also from the Eleanor McClatchy Collection. While she collected many items in the hopes to create a printing museum, many of those items are an integral part of our museum and part of our school programs today.
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