Miss Pankhurst

The Suffragette leader Christabel Pankhurst, 1909. Christabel, the daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst was Organising Secretary of the Women's Social and Political Union, the militant suffragette organisation she founded in 1903 with her Mother and sisters. A hugely effective speaker and charismatic leader Christabel was imprisoned on three occasions for her suffragette activities.
The image was taken by Christina Broom during the two week Women's Exhibition held at the Princes' Skating Rink, Knightsbridge in May 1909.
The exhibition, organised by the Women's Social and Political Union to recruit new members and raise funds for the Votes for Women campaign, was regarded by the leadership as a triumphant success.
According to a report in Votes for Women on June 4th 1909 through the success of the exhibition 'We [the WSPU] have shown a new side to the public, with the result that our Movement has won a better understanding on the part of those who knew nothing about it except from hearsay’.