THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT

Ruth Mountaingrove

February 21, 1923 – December 18, 2016

“One of the dreams I remember was dreaming of a woman who was going down a spiral, down, down, down into a forgotten city where there was treasure. She was going down to find her treasure, which I think is what we have been doing in the second wave of feminism, finding our treasure.”

Lesbian-feminist poet, photographer, composer, publisher, musician, playwright, painter, and women’s land pioneer. Launched magazine, WomanSpirit, published from 1974 –1984 with partner Jean Mountaingrove, a magazine dedicated to the expression and development of a feminist spirituality. Joined Philadelphia NOW in 1966. Worked on changing abortion laws, and wrote the song, “Who Killed This Woman?” which was copyrighted by Philadelphia NOW and used at rallies and meetings. A full-time worker in the Philadelphia women’s liberation movement from 1968 –1971, wrote for the newspaper Awake and Move. Helped found Women in Transition for battered women, managed the speakers bureau, and helped facilitate the first lesbian group in Philadelphia. Published The Blatant Image, a magazine of feminist photography 1980. A founding mother of Through The Eyes Of Women, a public affairs program produced for, by and about women since 1985.

Photo 1. Jean Mountaingrove (left) and Ruth Mountaingrove work on the first issue of their publication, WomanSpirit, in 1974. Photo 2. Jean Mountaingrove (right) with her partner Ruth Mountaingrove stand in front of the cabin they shared for five years at Golden, a mixed-gender, gay community outside Wolf Creek, Oregon.