Flora Drummond selling Votes for Women

The Suffragette leader Flora Drummond selling the Votes for Women newspaper, October 1907. Suffragette street sellers were required to stand in the gutter, rather than on the pavement to avoid being arrested for obstruction. The photograph depicts Flora selling one of the first ever editions of the weekly newspaper and reveals how the novelty of seeing a woman newspaper seller attracted much attention and amusement particularly from young men passers-by who often heckled the women.
As well as being vital for promoting the Suffragette message, the weekly Votes for Women newspaper also generated much needed funds for the campaign. At the height of the campaign 40,000 copies of the newspaper were sold each week not only by street sellers but also by newsagents and WSPU branch shops.