Printed Ephemera — 1908-1914

Album, postcard album

Postcard album containing 178 postcards relating to the activities of the Women's Social and Political Union. The olive green hard cover has a silver art deco tree border decoration and a purple, white and green top central roundel of Sylvia Pankhurst's symbol of a woman breaking free: stepping through a gate with iron bars and heavy chains, carrying a 'Votes for Women' streamer. In the central panel is in silver is written 'Post-cards W.S.P.U'.

The album was gifted to the Suffragette Fellowship by Isabel Seymour. A friend of the Pethick-Lawrences, Isabel joined the WSPU office in 1906. Until the summer of 1909 she acted as hospitality secretary at WSPU headquarters organising billets for country members when they came to London to take part in protests and deputations. A talented speaker Isabel travelled throughout the UK and Europe on speaking tours. In 1909 she became 'Prisoners' Secretary' organising, amongst other things bail for arrested WSPU members. Interviewed by Antonia Raeburn in 1973 Isabel referred to the atmosphere at WSPU headquarters in the early days 'It was very happy-go-lucky – envelope addressing, and the almost daily tea party. Mrs Pankhurst used to descend but she wasn’t permanently there. I remember the sort of feeling that she was still a bit of an outsider. But of course Christabel was always at Clement’s Inn. The Pethick Lawrences had put the spare room of their flat at her disposal. They really were like overshadowing guardian angels.’

Category:
Printed Ephemera
Object ID:
50.82/950
Object name:
album, postcard album
Object type:

album, postcard album

Artist/Maker:
—
Related people:

Related events:

Related places:

Production date:
1908-1914
Material:

card, linen, paper

Measurements/duration:
H 380 mm, W 240 mm, D 20 mm
Part of:
—
On display:
—
Record quality:
40%
Part of this object:
—
Owner Status & Credit:

Permanent collection

Copyright holder:

digital image © London Museum

Image credit:
—
Creative commons usage:
CC BY-NC 4.0
License this image:

To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.

Tags

Printed Ephemera 20th century London Publishing & Media