With a Beefsteak and a Cup of Coffee: The Harvey Girls in the Southwest

The Fred Harvey company operated its exceptional chain of restaurants and hotels along the Santa Fe Railway from 1876 through the 1960s. Among its many innovations was the employment of “Harvey Girl” waitresses: single women who chose to leave their families and adhere to strict lifestyle restrictions for the opportunity to work at respectable jobs. This visual presentation explores the creation of the Harvey Girls, their life and work at the Harvey Houses in the Southwest, their influence on the changing roles of women in the American workforce, and the Harvey Girls in popular culture.

Ann-Mary Lutzick has been the director of Winslow’s Old Trails Museum since 2010, and she also serves on the board of the Museum Association of Arizona. She worked for the Arizona Humanities Council from 1999 to 2011, coordinating their grants and Smithsonian traveling exhibitions. Lutzick earned her M.A. in public history from Arizona State University, her B.A. in history from the University of Virginia, and her professional certificate from Arizona State University’s Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management. She lives with her husband and pets in Snowdrift Art Space, their home, studio, and gallery on Historic Route 66 in downtown Winslow.