Supersisters

Supersisters was a set of 72 trading cards produced and distributed in the United States in 1979 by Supersisters, Inc. They featured famous women from politics, media and entertainment, culture, sports, and other areas of achievement. The cards were designed in response to the trading cards popular among children in the US at the time which mostly featured men.[1]

Front and back of card #38, Shari Lewis

The cards were created by Lois Rich of Irvington, New York, and her sister Barbara Egerman, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, a teacher, librarian, and founder of the Ohio chapter of the National Organization for Women. They conceived of the cards in 1978, after Rich's young daughter asked her why there were no women on trading cards. Rich also discovered that students at a local elementary school could not name five famous women. Rich and Egerman received a small grant from the New York State Education Department and wrote to nearly 500 prominent American women in various fields.[1][2][3] They purposely did not contact a number of notable women, including Anita Bryant, Angela Davis, Phyllis Schlafly, and the cast of Charlie's Angels. Jane Fonda, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, and Ella T. Grasso were among those who did not respond or declined to participate.[4]

[5] Of those who did respond, they included the first 72 in the trading card set, including Jane Pauley, Margaret Mead, and Gloria Steinem.[4][5] By 1981, they reported that they had sold 15,000 trading card sets, selling many to schools and colleges.[2]

Reaction to the cards was largely positive, though some later critics called the cards "misguided" and "trivial".[6][7] Sets of the trading cards are in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the University of Iowa library.[7][8]

Card #[9]Name[9]Occupation
1Suzy ChaffeeOlympic skier
2Nancy Dickersonjournalist
3Pat SchroederUS Congresswoman
4Margaret Chase SmithUS Senator
5Lynn D. Salvagebanker
6Sally J. Priesandrabbi
7Letty Cottin Pogrebin author
8 Bella S. AbzugUS Congresswoman
9Helen Reddysinger
10Lois Gould author
11Sonia Manzanoactress
12Helen Thomasjournalist
13Virginia Hamiltonauthor
14 Carla Anderson Hills lawyer, US cabinet level secretary
15Mary Louise Smithchair of Republican National Committee
16Margaret Meadanthropologist
17 Wendy Boglioli Olympic swimmer
18Julie Harrisactress
19 Rosie Casals tennis player
20Elly Petersonpolitician
21Mary Rose OakarUS Congresswoman
22Linda Winikow New York State Senator
23Lucinda Franks journalist
24 Bonnie Tiburzi First female pilot to fly for a major U.S. airline.
25 Leonor K. SullivanUS Congresswoman
26Caroline Birdauthor
27Rosa Parks civil rights pioneer
28Helen Stevenson Meyner US Congresswoman
29Doriot Anthony Dwyer flautist
30Lindy Cochran skier
31Maxine Kuminpoet
32Gloria Steinem author
33Gladys Noon SpellmanUS Congresswoman
34Malvina Reynolds singer-songwriter
35Eleanor Cutri SmealNational Organization for Women president
36Ann Carr gymnast
37Laura Lee Chingsurfer
38Shari Lewis entertainer
39Barbara A. MikulskiUS Congresswoman
40Meredith Monk composer and choreographer
41Barbara Gardner Proctoradvertising
42Katharine Graham newspaper publisher
43Ruby Deeactress
44Marlo Thomas actress
45Kathrine Switzerauthor, runner
46Miki Gorman runner
47Barbara Ann CochranOlympic skier
48Wendy Turnbulltennis player
49Shirley M. Hufstedlerfederal judge, US cabinet level secretary
50Kathy Johnsongymnast
51Claudia Weill film director
52Jane Pauley journalist
53Janet Guthrie race car driver
54Debbie Gary Callier pilot
55Jane Alexander actress
56Jane Trahey advertising
57Jane Cahill Pfeiffer television executive
58Cindy Nelson skier
59Rhonda Schwandt gymnast
60Jane Bryant Quinn journalist
61Sarah Weddington lawyer
62Robin Morgan author
63Jackie Cassello gymnast
64Cathy Rigby MasonOlympic gymnast
65Melanie SmithOlympic equestrian
66Buffy Sainte-Marie singer
67Natalie Dunn roller skater
68Cathy CarrOlympic swimmer
69Leslie Uggamsactress
70Helen Hayesactress
71Shirley ChisholmUS Congresswoman
72Ntozake Shange poet

References

  1. Ferritti, Fred (9 Mar 1980). "Success was in the Cards". New York Times. pp. WC10.
  2. Haitch, Richard (25 October 1981). "Follow-Up on the News; 'Supersisters'". New York Times. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  3. Irwin, Victoria (20 February 1980). "'I'll trade you a Pete Rose for your Jane Pauley'". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  4. Baranski, Lynne (7 April 1980). "Hey, I'll Swap Ya a Stargell for a Steinem! A Sister Team Creates Female Trading Cards That Flip the Kids". People. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016.
  5. "Feminine trading cards are big rage". The Day. Associated Press. 10 November 1980. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  6. Levy, Alan H. (5 December 2013). The Political Life of Bella Abzug, 1976–1998: Electoral Failures and the Vagaries of Identity Politics. Lexington Books. p. 162. ISBN 978-0-7391-8725-8.
  7. Dorpinghaus, Sarah (8 April 2008). "IDL staff pick: Supersisters trading cards, 1979". Digital Research & Publishing, University of Iowa Libraries. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  8. Zanis, Liz (3 April 2014). "Collecting Inspiration with Supersisters". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  9. The entire Supersisters card set is viewable online at the University of Iowa Digital Libraries at http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/founders/id/4267/rec/1
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