VOTES FOR WOMEN' BANNER
Banner stencilled with the legend 'WSPU/ VOTES/ FOR/ WOMEN' in white paint, black glazed canvas, folded at edges, old nail holes around edges where previously mounted, worn with holes, tears and losses, c.575 x 1004mm., [early twentieth century]
Footnotes:
'WSPU/ VOTES FOR WOMEN': A rare survival of a handmade WSPU campaign banner.

Made of hard-wearing canvas material, the nail holes and wear around the edges of this banner indicate that it was mounted on a board or frame, possibly for attachment to a vehicle. Contemporary photographs show such banners mounted on the front or sides of carriages, buses or motor cars, which were all put to good use to advertise the cause. Reports in Car Illustrated magazine of 1906 applauded certain suffragettes who chose to drive to court, whilst commenting 'The ladies showed good sense, though perhaps a little inconsistency, by putting a man at the wheel!'. The same magazine covered a Votes for Women demonstration in 1907 where around 20 motor vehicles were observed in the procession bearing similar banners (www.nationalmotormuseum.org.uk).

Whilst its early history is unclear, according to the present owner the banner was displayed at the Taggs Island Museum near Hampton, Surrey in the 1960's and in the History on Wheels exhibition at Syon Park which opened in April 1973 (see 'Veteran Edwardian Vintage: Museums in London', Motor Sport, June 1973, p.55). The banner had been passed down in the same family until purchased by the present private collector.