Suffrage Atelier

Last updated

What a woman may be and yet not have the vote, created by the Suffrage Atelier What a woman may be and yet not have the vote. Suffrage Atelier. (16051439552).jpg
What a woman may be and yet not have the vote, created by the Suffrage Atelier

Suffrage Atelier was an artists' collective campaigning for women's suffrage in England. It was founded in February 1909 by Laurence Housman, Clemence Housman [1] and Alfred Pearse. [2] Clemence was a writer, illustrator, and wood engraver, and her brother Laurence was a fantasy writer.

Contents

The Atelier, which became a major political entity, accepted as its members women who were professional illustrators and writers but also encouraged non-professional artists to submit work, and paid them a small percentage of any profits. [3] It held its first public meeting in London in February 1909, styling itself as an "Arts and Crafts Society working for the enfranchisement of women". [4] [5]

The collective is supposed to have been formed as a result of collaboration between members of the Kensington Branch of the Women's Social and Political Union who worked together to produce a banner entitled From Prison to Citizenship, which was designed by the Housmans. [4]

It ran printmaking, banner-making, drawing and stenciling workshops and held competitions. [5] The Suffrage Atelier's policy was to produce only what could be quickly reproduced and circulated and so made great use of block-printing, both in wood and as linocuts in response to events. [5] Clemence Housman was a well-respected member of the WSPU, so much of the production of the Suffrage Atelier was distributed in the WSPU store chains and national newspaper.

Suffrage Atelier postcard, c.1909-1914 (38003316525) Suffrage Atelier postcard, c1909-1914 (38003316525).jpg
Suffrage Atelier postcard, c.1909–1914 (38003316525)

One of the first requests for the work of the organisation was for stock for the art stall at the WSPU's 1909 Princes' Skating Rink Exhibition. [4] In the main, the Atelier worked with the Women's Freedom League [4] and in December 1909 it produced a banner entitled Let Glasgow Flourish for the Glasgow Central WFL, and another banner for the Glasgow West branch.

It also designed and produced a banner for the Tax Resistance League, which was carried in a procession on 18 June 1910. In the Women's Coronation Procession in June 1911, the group carried their own banner which showed Athena with her symbols of the owl, olive, cock, serpent, sphynx the Victory and Medusa head. [4]

The Suffrage Atelier had a large body of subscribers that included both men and non-professionals. Subscribers were encouraged to submit fine art, poster and post card designs, craft work, and donations. Subscribers also helped organize pageants and exhibitions.

Members

TWL.2000.71Postcard produced by the Suffrage Atelier TWL.2000.71Postcard, printed, cardboard, black image and text, white background, produced by the Suffrage Atelier, stylised image of a pot and kettle with human features, kettle holding a sign which (22473773894).jpg
TWL.2000.71Postcard produced by the Suffrage Atelier

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Macbeth</span> British artist and suffragette (1875–1948)

Ann Macbeth was a British embroiderer, designer, teacher and author. She was a member of the Glasgow Movement where she was an associate of Margaret MacDonald and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and many other 'Glasgow Girls'. She was also an active suffragette and designed banners for suffragists and suffragettes movements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurence Housman</span> English writer and illustrator (1865–1959)

Laurence Housman was an English playwright, writer and illustrator whose career stretched from the 1890s to the 1950s. He studied art in London and worked largely as an illustrator during the first years of his career, before shifting focus to writing. He was a younger brother of the poet A. E. Housman and his sister and fellow activist in the women's suffrage movement was writer/illustrator Clemence Housman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marion Wallace Dunlop</span> British artist and suffragette (1864–1942)

Marion Wallace Dunlop was a Scottish artist, author and illustrator of children's books, and suffragette. She was the first and one of the most well known British suffrage activists to go on hunger strike on 5 July 1909, after being arrested in July 1909 for militancy. She was at the centre of the Women's Social and Political Union and designed some of the most influential processions of the UK suffrage campaign, as well as designing banners for them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom</span>

A movement to fight for women's right to vote in the United Kingdom finally succeeded through acts of Parliament in 1918 and 1928. It became a national movement in the Victorian era. Women were not explicitly banned from voting in Great Britain until the Reform Act 1832 and the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. In 1872 the fight for women's suffrage became a national movement with the formation of the National Society for Women's Suffrage and later the more influential National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS). As well as in England, women's suffrage movements in Wales, Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom gained momentum. The movements shifted sentiments in favour of woman suffrage by 1906. It was at this point that the militant campaign began with the formation of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU).

Housman is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clemence Housman</span> English author and illustrator (1861–1955)

Clemence Annie Housman was an author, illustrator and activist in the women's suffrage movement. She was the sister of A. E. Housman and Laurence Housman. Her novels included The Were-Wolf, Unknown Sea and The Life of Sir Aglovale De Galis. She was also a leading figure in the suffragette movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Pearse</span> English artist, author, campaigner and inventor

Alfred Pearse, also known as A Patriot, was an English artist, author, campaigner and inventor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gude Cause 1909 and 2009</span>

Gude Cause was the name of a feminist project, based at the Peace and Justice Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland, which inspired over 60 events and projects throughout Scotland between 2007 and 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Actresses' Franchise League</span> Womens suffrage organisation

The Actresses' Franchise League was a women's suffrage organisation, mainly active in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edith Downing</span> British artist, sculptor (1857–1931)

Edith Elizabeth Downing was a British artist, sculptor and suffragette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonora Tyson</span> English suffragette

Leonora Helen Tyson was an English suffragette and member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daisy Solomon</span> South African suffragette (1882–1978)

Daisy Dorothea Solomon (1882–1978) was posted as a human letter in the British suffragette campaign using a quirk in the postal system to approach the Prime Minister who would not receive a delegation of women demanding the right to vote. Solomon was secretary to suffragette groups and imprisoned for protest, and went on hunger strike.

<i>Votes for Women</i> (newspaper) British suffragist newspaper (1907–1918)

Votes for Women was a newspaper associated with the women's suffrage movement in the United Kingdom. Until 1912, it was the official newspaper of the Women's Social and Political Union, the leading suffragette organisation. Subsequently, it continued with a smaller circulation, at first independently, and then as the publication of the United Suffragists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret McPhun</span> British suffragette

Margaret Pollock McPhun was a Scottish suffragette from Glasgow who served two months in Holloway Prison in London and composed a poem about imprisoned activist Janie Allan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frances McPhun</span> Scottish suffragist

Frances Mary McPhun (1880–1940) was a Scottish suffragette who served two months in Holloway prison, and had organised events and processions for women's suffrage in Edinburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louise Eates</span> British suffragette and activist

Louise Mary Eates was a British suffragette, chair of Kensington Women's Social and Political Union and a women's education activist.

Irene Dallas (1883–1971) and Hilda Dallas (1878–1958) were British suffragette sisters: Hilda, an artist, designed publicity material, Irene, a protester was imprisoned for political reasons, and both sisters also boycotted the 1911 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSPU Holloway Prisoners Banner</span> Suffragette banner designed by Scottish artist Ann Macbeth

The WSPU Holloway Banner is a suffragette banner designed by Scottish artist Ann Macbeth.

References

  1. ↑ Foley, Kenneth (2013). Women’s Suffrage Memorabilia: An Illustrated Historical Study. McFarland, p. 143.
  2. ↑ Atkinson, Diane. Funny Girls: Campaigning for Equality, p. 44.
  3. ↑ "VADS: The online resource for visual arts – Women's Library Suffrage Banner Collection". Archived from the original on 9 February 2010. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Crawford, Elizabeth. (2001). The women's suffrage movement: a reference guide, 1866-1928. London: Routledge. ISBN   0-415-23926-5. OCLC   44914288.
  5. 1 2 3 Lucinda Gosling, Hilary Robinson, Amy Tobin & Helena Reckitt (Consultant Editor) (2019). The Art of Feminism. Tate Publishing.{{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ "A New Woman's Venture: Linking a Little Magazine to the Suffrage Atelier – Y90s Classroom" . Retrieved 25 October 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.