It's Weird Wednesday time and to celebrate March being Women's History Month, I wanted to share with you a collection of photos from the
WV History on View website. These photos were recently posted on the awesome Facebook page,
West Virginia Heritage, and show a group of female students at West Virginia University.
According to the WV History on View site, this all-female student group formed in 1908 and called themselves the Rejetos Jichancas. Translated as The Gypsy Rejects, membership into the group was highly prized, yet shrouded in mystery. Origins of how/why the group formed are unclear, very little information is known about them, and no group photos appeared in the West Virginia University yearbook past 1928. And, apparently, the group also chose to keep their individual identities a secret! At the very least, they sure knew how to take a creepy group photo!
I hope you enjoy this photo collection of West Virginia's Weird Women! If you'd like MORE vintage photography from the Mountain State, be sure to check out the links to WV History on View and West Virginia Heritage above. Stay Weird, ya'll!
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| 1927 |
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| 1928 |
When I was writing a weekly column of West Virginia history I spent a lot of time in microfilm of old newspapers, including Morgantown's Dominion Post, and I've never seen reference to this group. I'm going to have to look into this. Thanks.
ReplyDeletePlease let me know if you find anything interesting! I'd love to know more about this mysterious group.
DeleteBack in the 1980's, during the centennial celebration of women
ReplyDeletebeing admitted to WVU, a history of WVU women was compiled by the Public History department. One of the students found a former member of the RJ's. During the interview she said that the group was mostly for socializing and having fun.