The Suffragette Prisoner, Gertrude Ballan

Surveillance image of the Suffragette prisoner Gertrude Ballan exercising in the yard at Holloway prison. This shot was taken by an undercover police photographer. The image has been cut from a larger photograph which includes Kathleen Trott on the left. On the back is handwritten ‘Ballam’.
Both Kathleen and Gertrude were members of the Women's Freedom League. It is likely this image was taken in March 1914 when both were in Holloway on a charge of 'obstruction.
Kathleen and Gertrude Ballan were two of the four members of the WFL charged with obstructing the police during a picket outside Scotland Yard and the offices of the Director of Public Prosections. The picket was mounted in protest against the retention in the police force of two officer who, under oath, admitted being aware of a 'criminal' activity between a fellow policeman and a 14 year old girl. Found guilty of obstruction Kathleen, Gertrude and their fellow 'picketers' were sentenced to 14 days imprisonment.
Scotland Yard commissioned the covert photography of militant suffragettes from 1913. The images were used to identify suffragettes attempting to enter public buildings such as museums and art galleries, where they might attempt to damage the objects.