Napkin, handkerchief, serviette

Souvenir paper table napkin printed with the official programme of the votes for women demonstration held in Hyde Park Sunday 21 June 1908. This demonstration was also known as Women's Sunday and was the first major mass event to be organised by the Women's Social and Political Union. The napkin has a floral border printed with purple flowers and green stems. In the centre is printed a route of the 7 processions that gathered in Hyde Park together with images of the leading speakers & suffragette leaders. Souvenir napkins or 'handkerchiefs' were printed for every large public event, ceremony or procession that occured in London from the early to mid 20th century. The squares were imported into London from Japan pre-printed with a decorative border in up to 5 colours and a blank central area. S.Burgess was one of the main London printers of such napkins. They would have been sold for about 1 penny by street traders lining the route of the event. The fact that such napkins were produced as souvenirs for all the major suffragette processions indicates that these were high profile, spectacular events that attracted huge crowds and had a large impact on London life during this period.