English Artist Cards

There were two main groups of suffrage artists formed to create work for the movement, the Artists’ Suffrage League, founded by Mary Lowndes in 1907, and the Suffrage Atelier, inaugurated two years later by Laurence and Clemence Housman. Both organizations published posters and post cards as well as drew banners for large demonstrations. The Atelier produced most of its work for the Women’s Freedom League, and the Suffrage League generally worked with the National Union of Women Suffrage Societies. The WSPU produced some artist cards, but used their own resources in their illustration and manufacture.

These artist cards consisted primarily of black and white illustrations, editorial in nature. Sometimes their subjects appeared on posters as well as cards. Although highly topical in theme, a few of these cards crossed the Atlantic where they were sold in American suffrage outlets, indicating that many suffragists here were quite aware of the issues represented by pictures from abroad.