“Votes for Women” sign stolen from Molly Brown House Museum

DENVER — Stephanie McGuire still doesn’t know how someone managed to rip the “Votes for Women” sign right off its post at the Molly Brown House Museum.

“It’s a bummer that someone decided to steal it,” McGuire said. “It’s just so needless and that’s what’s frustrating.”

The sign was placed along the sidewalk outside the museum in Denver, where McGuire is curator. She learned Sunday morning that someone had ripped it from its post the night before.

“It does sort of now feel like part of the house is missing because we no longer have this symbol,” McGuire said.

McGuire said the sign was a symbol that honored Margaret Brown’s work during the women’s suffrage movement. 

“Everyone knows that she survived the Titanic, but I don’t think it’s that clear to people that she was involved in this women’s suffrage movement,” she said. 

Before women could even vote, Brown ran for United States Senate in 1914. She eventually withdrew from the race, but her actions had a huge impact on women today. 

“Women today can vote because of women like Margaret and because of the women — all of the women she was working with,” McGuire said. 

The “Votes for Women” sign at the museum was part of that bigger picture. McGuire said it was a marker on the National Votes for Women Trail, putting the Molly Brown House on the map. 

“Having the sign connected her with this whole national movement,” McGuire said.

Now, that important marker is gone. 

“Please consider returning this because I promise you, it serves no value to you,” McGuire said. “It serves a lot of value here in front of the museum. We would really appreciate that piece of the house back.”

McGuire said they have filed a report with police, but if the person who took it brings the sign back, they won’t press charges.

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