Fonds GB 106 2ASL - Artists' Suffrage League

Identity area

Reference code

GB 106 2ASL

Title

Artists' Suffrage League

Date(s)

  • 1905-1912 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

2 oversize boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The period between 1903 and 1914 was one of resurgence in the women's suffrage movement. At this time, the methods by all those involved began to change: although the suffragists' efforts were mainly aimed at forming parliamentary opinion, they also began to engage in public demonstrations and other propaganda activities. The ASL was established in January 1907 in order to assist with the preparations for the 'Mud March' organised by the NUWSS in February of that year. However, it continued with the creation of suffrage propaganda for the NUWSS after this date. Other than the central committee of chairperson, vice-chair and treasurer, the organisation had no traditional formal structure or statement of aims. The body was responsible for the creation of a large number of posters, Christmas cards, postcards and banners designed by artists who included the chairperson Mary Lowndes, Emily Ford, Barbara Forbes, May H Barker, Clara Billing, Dora Meeson Coates, Violet Garrard, Bertha Newcombe, C Hedly Charlton and Emily J Harding. The ASL was responsible for the decoration of the Queens Hall for the celebrations in 1918 that had been organised by the NUWSS.

Repository

Archival history

These papers may have belonged to the Secretary of the League - Barbara Forbes.

GB 106 2ASL 1905-1912 fonds 2 oversize boxes Artists' Suffrage League

The period between 1903 and 1914 was one of resurgence in the women's suffrage movement. At this time, the methods by all those involved began to change: although the suffragists' efforts were mainly aimed at forming parliamentary opinion, they also began to engage in public demonstrations and other propaganda activities. The ASL was established in January 1907 in order to assist with the preparations for the 'Mud March' organised by the NUWSS in February of that year. However, it continued with the creation of suffrage propaganda for the NUWSS after this date. Other than the central committee of chairperson, vice-chair and treasurer, the organisation had no traditional formal structure or statement of aims. The body was responsible for the creation of a large number of posters, Christmas cards, postcards and banners designed by artists who included the chairperson Mary Lowndes, Emily Ford, Barbara Forbes, May H Barker, Clara Billing, Dora Meeson Coates, Violet Garrard, Bertha Newcombe, C Hedly Charlton and Emily J Harding. The ASL was responsible for the decoration of the Queens Hall for the celebrations in 1918 that had been organised by the NUWSS.

These papers may have belonged to the Secretary of the League - Barbara Forbes.

Unknown: the archive was listed in Oct 1989, so the records must have been deposited prior to that date.

Papers of the Artists' Suffrage League, 1905-1912, including correspondence, drawings, cartoons, prints, poster, postcard, programmes and their covers, notices press clippings, album of designs by Mary Lowndes.

The collection is open for consultation. Intending readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.

English

Handlist

Posters created by members of the League are held in the Museum of London's collections, as well as in the Communist Party archives. The John Johnson Collection at the Bodleian Library also holds ASL postcards. The Women's Library holds related visual materials in the form of a collection of banners and posters. Correspondence with the London Society for Women's Suffrage 1911-12 is also held in the Women's Library, reference number GB 16 2/LSW.

Lisa Tickner The spectacle of women: imagery of the Suffrage Campaign 1907-14 (London, Chatto & Windus, 1987)

This document was generated by Javascript from an HTML form which structured the input according to the elements of ISAD(G) Version 2. Collection description by the Archives Hub, Oct 2001, amended by Genesis Project Manager, Apr 2002. Fawcett Library Catalogue Oct 1989. 2ASL/11 The Mary Lowndes Album was catalogued at item level by Sam Velumyl, The National Archives / The Women's Library Secondment May 2006. Edited for AIM25 by Sarah Drewery.

In compliance with ISAD (G): General International Standard Archival Description - 2nd Edition (1999); UNESCO Thesaurus, December 2001; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Dec 2008 Ford , Emily , 1851-1930 , artist and suffragist Sex Sex distribution Women Organizations Associations Womens organizations Painters Artists Women artists Internal politics Electoral systems Womens suffrage Forbes , Barbara , 1871-1946 , artist and suffragist Lowndes , Mary , 1856-1929 , stained-glass artist National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies Artists' Suffrage League

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Unknown: the archive was listed in Oct 1989, so the records must have been deposited prior to that date.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of the Artists' Suffrage League, 1905-1912, including correspondence, drawings, cartoons, prints, poster, postcard, programmes and their covers, notices press clippings, album of designs by Mary Lowndes.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

The collection is open for consultation. Intending readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Posters created by members of the League are held in the Museum of London's collections, as well as in the Communist Party archives. The John Johnson Collection at the Bodleian Library also holds ASL postcards. The Women's Library holds related visual materials in the form of a collection of banners and posters. Correspondence with the London Society for Women's Suffrage 1911-12 is also held in the Women's Library, reference number GB 16 2/LSW.

Finding aids

Handlist

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Women's Library

Rules and/or conventions used

In compliance with ISAD (G): General International Standard Archival Description - 2nd Edition (1999); UNESCO Thesaurus, December 2001; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area