Suffragette Spectacles
A look at how the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) created vibrant, iconic, and theatrical demonstrations to get their message across.
Women's Sunday
London provided the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) with the opportunity for staging visually spectacular set-piece demonstrations that attracted international media attention. Women’s Sunday, the first ‘monster meeting’ to be held by the WSPU, brought Suffragettes into the capital from all over the country in June 1908. They marched in seven different processions through central London to a rally in Hyde Park.
Programme of Suffragette Demonstration (1908)London Museum
Women's Sunday (1908-06-21)London Museum
Demonstrators arrived on specially chartered trains from over seventy towns.
Suffragette speaker, Women's Sunday (1908-06-21) by Broom, ChristinaLondon Museum
On reaching Hyde Park, they were addressed by over eighty speakers.
Suffragette Speaker at Women's Sunday (1908-06-21)London Museum
Colour scheme
The highly choreographed demonstration saw the launch of the purple, white and green colour scheme. It attracted a crowd of up to 300,000 - drawn by the colourful spectacle of the delegates dressed in the tricolour, and carrying over seven hundred embroidered banners.
Suffragette rosette and badge (1908-1912)London Museum
Regalia of the Women's Social and Political Union (1908-1914)London Museum
Banner of the Hammersmith branch of the Women's Social & Political Union (1910-1912)London Museum
Local branches of the Women's Social and Political Union raised funds to create their own banners.
Preparing banners for Women's Sunday (1908-06-21) by World's Graphic Press LimitedLondon Museum
Preparing banners for Women's Sunday.
Banner of the Chelsea branch of the Women's Social and Political Union (1908) by Ross, HermanLondon Museum
This banner, from the Chelsea branch, depicts Holloway prison, with a Suffragette prisoner waving a banner with the slogan 'Votes for Women'.
Banner of the West Ham Branch of the Women's Social & Political Union (1909-1910)London Museum
Banner of the Lewisham branch of the Women's Social and Political Union (c. 1910)London Museum
Banner of the Ilford branch of the Women's Social and Political Union (c. 1910)London Museum
Women's Sunday (1908) by World's Graphic Press LimitedLondon Museum
‘Never’, reported the Daily Chronicle, 'has so vast a throng gathered in London to witness a parade of political forces’.
Women's Coronation Procession
Three years later, on 17 June 1911, the WSPU staged an even more spectacular event, the Women's Coronation procession.
Souvenir paper table napkin printed with a programme for the Women's Coronation procession (1911) by Burgess, S.London Museum
Held a week before the coronation of George V, this was intended to enlist the King’s support for the proposed Conciliation Bill that would have given some women the vote.
The four-mile procession through central London culminated in a rally at the Royal Albert Hall, and involved over 60,000 delegates from both regional and international suffrage groups dressed in national and historical costume.
Irish contingent at the Women's Coronation Procession (1911-06-17) by Broom, ChristinaLondon Museum
Groups represented the demand for Votes for Women from regions like Ireland...
Welsh Suffragettes, Women's Coronation Procession (1911) by General Press Photo CompanyLondon Museum
...and Wales.
Women Writers' Suffrage League, Women's Coronation procession (1911) by World's Graphic Press, LtdLondon Museum
Different processions also had their own place in the procession, like the Writer's Suffrage League.
Banner of the Writers' Suffrage League (1908) by Lowndes, Mary and Herringham, Mrs.London Museum
Actressses' Franchise League, Women's Coronation Procession (1911)London Museum
Banner of the Actresses' Franchise League (1911) by Housman, ClemenceLondon Museum
Car of Empire, Women's Coronation Procession (1911) by TopicalLondon Museum
The centrepiece of the procession was the magnificent Car of Empire float that preceded the procession of women from all corners of the Empire, including India, Canada and Australia.
Indian Suffragettes, Women's Coronation Procession (1911-06-17)London Museum
Jane Fisher Unwin organised Indian women living in the UK to take part in the procession.
Suffragette Coronation Procession, 17 June 1911 (1911) by Searjeant, H.London Museum
From 1910 The Prisoners' Pageant formed the most dramatic section of all Suffragette processions, and usually included leading members of the Women's Social and Political Union.
As well as carrying their own imposing prisoner's banners, individuals also carried smaller emblems symbolic of imprisonment.
Prisoners' Pageant, Women's Coronation Procession (1911) by Central NewsLondon Museum
Suffragette Procession (1910) by Record PressLondon Museum
Organisation
The staging of such processions was organised with military precision. Senior figures were appointed to official roles to ensure efficiency. Colour Bearers, such as Charlotte Marsh, had the responsibility of carrying ‘the great silk standard of the WSPU’. Chairmen ensured all official rally Speakers kept to time, and Banner Captains led sections of the processions.
Suffragette badge of office (1908) by National Women's Social and Political UnionLondon Museum
Speaker's Badge, WSPU Rally (1910)London Museum
Flora Drummond (1908)London Museum
One figure always prominent at such events was Flora ‘General’ Drummond, who often directed proceedings on horseback in her unique regalia.
Flora 'General' Drummond (1908) by Caswall Smith, LizzieLondon Museum
Peaked cap worn by Flora 'General' Drummond (1908) by Toye & Co.London Museum
Flora Drummond campaigning (1908-1910)London Museum
For Women’s Sunday, Flora was responsible for all seven processions arriving safely in Hyde Park in time for the speeches.
The week before the event, Votes for Women defined Drummond's role: 'She will be in constant touch with every one of the processions, and will make it her business to see that every one of them is in marching order, and that all the arrangements are complete and satisfactory'.
Emily Wilding Davison's funeral
The most dramatic and last set piece event choreographed by the WSPU was the funeral procession of Emily Wilding Davison in 1913. Intended to accord Emily the status of martyr, the procession of Suffragettes - which accompanied her coffin from Victoria Station to a memorial service at St George's Church, Bloosmbury - brought London to a respectful and silent standstill.
Funeral Procession of Emily Wilding Davison (1913)London Museum
Those taking part were required to wear either white, purple, scarlet or black according to their role and position in the procession.
Funeral of Emily Wilding Davison (1913)London Museum
As white succeeded purple, and scarlet followed black, the resulting spectacular effect resembled, as noted the Manchester Guardian, 'the long unfurling of a military banner’.
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