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Census Disruption 1911 Cartoon. (Mitchell Library) Also newspaper cutting of Dundee women boycotting census (WC). The women believed that if they did not count as citizens, then they would not be counted at all! Thus they avoided the Census by assembling in numbers at an agreed location so that they would not be enumerated in their own homes. Across the country Census night in 1911 saw large gatherings at suffrage society offices and private homes, where notices proclaimed ‘No vote, No Census.’ The satirical magazine Punch noted dryly that the women had taken leave of their census.
Christmas Card, n.d. c1908 Single sheet Women’s Social and Political Union Christmas card. The organisation's newspaper Votes for Women announced on December 10, 1908, that a penny Christmas card “with a pretty design by Sylvia Pankhurst’ was on sale. (Edinburgh City Libraries 1820 M13 15036B)
Competitions, 1913'Win £10.' The My Weekly newspaper pokes fun at the suffragette tactic of pouring destructive chemicals into post boxes with this easy-to-entry readers’ competition. “The naughty women are at their tricks again,” say the accompanying instructions, which invite readers to help the postman fill in address panels blotted out by the militants' actions. (Copy in WC) 'Find the Message in the Suffragette's Bomb.' Cartoon in People's Journal, June 21, 1913. The mocking competition caricature shows an angry-eyed woman carrying an axe and a can of petrol in front of a notice reading 'Destroy The House of Commons.' (Copy in WC)
Crawfurd, Helen Election pamphlet of Helen Crawfurd, Communist candidate, Govan Constituency, 1921. Begins: "Men and Women of the Working Class"…and ends, "All Power to The Workers!" (Gallagher Memorial Library, Glasgow Caledonian University)
Cynicus Postcards, c1908-1910 Two postcards published by Martin Anderson (Cynicus) of Newport-on-Tay, Fife, the first, from 1908, is titled ‘Emancipated’ and its skeletal female figure showers scorn on the votes for women campaign. Another, from 1910, is titled ‘Our Next Parliament’ and hints that women in power would become a mish-mash of manly and muscular females bickering among themselves. But the sender of the 1910 card writes, “Hurry along with the next election, please!” (Watson Collection)
Dumfries, 1910 Programme for the Women’s Social and Political Union – Suffrage Bazaar and Exhibition held at St Mary’s Hall, Dumfries, June 23, 1910 (part). The cover of this rare programme features the badge of the WSPU in purple, white and green. The event was convened by Florence McFarlane of Edinburgh and opened by the Hon Mrs Haverfield. The programme, which cost one penny, includes a history of the WSPU. The event itself featured an exhibit of two prison cells, which the programme explains are to be occupied on the day by Miss Jolly and Miss Hudson, with Miss Burns acting as the wardress. All three knew prisons intimately! It also featured an anticipatory one-act play, How The Vote was Won, by Cecily Hamilton. (Dumfries and Galloway Libraries, Pamphlet Box 18)
Dumfries, c1909 Dumfries and Galloway Women’s Suffrage Society pamphlet (part). The cover of this document lists the society’s office bearers and constitution. Its stated objective is “To obtain the Parliamentary franchise for women on the same terms as it is, or may be, granted to men.” Catalogued c1909, though possibly a decade earlier. (Dumfries and Galloway Libraries, Pamphlet Box 18)
Dundee, 1908A four-page locally-printed leaflet by Emmeline Pankhurst and addressed to “The People of Dundee.” Pankhurst lists WSPU grievances against the Liberal Government and urges (male) Dundee voters to vote against the party's candidate Winston Churchill. She writes, “We believe every fair-minded man will be glad of this opportunity to help the women to win their political freedom…Another Women’s Victory in Dundee and Mr Asquith and his colleagues will have to consider not only promising, but GIVING votes to women.” (Watson Collection)
Dundee, 1908 Yellow-coloured postcard issued by the Women’s Freedom League during the Dundee by-election of 1908, printed in Dundee. The postcard details Brown Street polling station and provides an imaginary polling number ‘0146’ for its female recipient, but adds in bold wording, ‘But because you are a WOMAN you MAY NOT VOTE.’ Below this is the message, ‘The Women’s Freedom League earnestly invites you to take this Card with you, and stand and show it outside your polling station between the hours of 8am and 8pm.’ Postally used, 1908. (Watson Collection) |
