Fonds GB 106 5SRW - See Red' Women's Workshop

Identity area

Reference code

GB 106 5SRW

Title

See Red' Women's Workshop

Date(s)

  • 1974-1984 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

0.5 A box

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

See Red Women's Workshop (c 1974-1984) was a screen-print workshop run as a women's collective between c 1974 and 1984. It was a radical campaigning and publicising organisation fully committed to the ideals of the second wave feminist movement. See Red's activities included the designing and printing of their own posters, postcards and calendars, as well as taking on design and print commissions for other organisations. They also gave talks and demonstrations on screen-printing. Their work was distributed through shops and mail order both nationally and internationally. The group varied in number; overall 20 women worked at See Red during its lifetime. After working from home in the early days, the collective progressed to renting shared space with Women in Print, at 16a Iliffe Yard, off Crampton St, London, SE17. The workshop was initially run without grant-aid, and the women contributed up to three working days a week to the workshop while earning a living elsewhere. In the early 1980s the collective was supported by funding from the Greater London Council.

The women were committed to the principles of working as a collective in spite of time and money constraints. They saw themselves as accountable to the Women's Liberation Movement, and wanted to design posters that were cheap and therefore accessible. They were keen to prioritise the strength of the message over slick techniques or beautiful art, making posters that served an urgent purpose that they acknowledged might ultimately be short-lived. The posters carried either a campaigning or a consciousness-raising message, and treated many subjects including: women and sexuality, health, childcare, domestic politics, domestic violence, sexual equality for girls and women, male sexist attitudes, sexist and degrading treatment of women by the media, and oppression of women in a wider political context, both nationally and internationally. The Workshop came to an end in 1984.

Repository

Archival history

GB 106 5SRW 1974-1984 fonds 0.5 A box See Red Women's Workshop

See Red Women's Workshop (c 1974-1984) was a screen-print workshop run as a women's collective between c 1974 and 1984. It was a radical campaigning and publicising organisation fully committed to the ideals of the second wave feminist movement. See Red's activities included the designing and printing of their own posters, postcards and calendars, as well as taking on design and print commissions for other organisations. They also gave talks and demonstrations on screen-printing. Their work was distributed through shops and mail order both nationally and internationally. The group varied in number; overall 20 women worked at See Red during its lifetime. After working from home in the early days, the collective progressed to renting shared space with Women in Print, at 16a Iliffe Yard, off Crampton St, London, SE17. The workshop was initially run without grant-aid, and the women contributed up to three working days a week to the workshop while earning a living elsewhere. In the early 1980s the collective was supported by funding from the Greater London Council.

The women were committed to the principles of working as a collective in spite of time and money constraints. They saw themselves as accountable to the Women's Liberation Movement, and wanted to design posters that were cheap and therefore accessible. They were keen to prioritise the strength of the message over slick techniques or beautiful art, making posters that served an urgent purpose that they acknowledged might ultimately be short-lived. The posters carried either a campaigning or a consciousness-raising message, and treated many subjects including: women and sexuality, health, childcare, domestic politics, domestic violence, sexual equality for girls and women, male sexist attitudes, sexist and degrading treatment of women by the media, and oppression of women in a wider political context, both nationally and internationally. The Workshop came to an end in 1984.

Deposited by Sarah Jones, Nov 2006 on behalf of See Red (accessioned as part of Museum entry number e0016).

The archive consists of papers relating to the activities and members of See Red Women's Workshop, 1974-1984. It includes correspondence; notebooks containing minutes; press cuttings; poster catalogues and photographs showing members at work in the screen-print workshop.

The publication 'Daughters of Britain' by Vera Douie, probably used as a photographic reference source for poster TWL.2006.02.29, was held with the papers. It was removed as a copy is held in The Women's Library Reading Room (Classmark as at Apr 2007: 331.40941 DOU).

This collection is available for research. Readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.

English

The Women's Library Catalogue.

See also The Women's Library Museum collection TWL.2006.02 : a collection of 50 posters and 12 postcards produced by See Red Women's Workshop.

As at 2007 there were an additional 23 See Red objects (posters and one calendar) held in the wider TWL Museum collection [search 'Any text' for 'See Red'].

The Women's Library Printed Collections include some publications with illustrations by 'See Red'.

Finding aid created by export from CALM v7.2.14 Archives Hub EAD2002. 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.

29/01/2008 Womens liberation movement Organizations Associations Womens organizations Artists Women artists Rights of special groups Womens rights Political doctrines Collectivism Liberation movements Political movements Women Sex Sex distribution Posters Visual materials Art See Red Women's Workshop

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Deposited by Sarah Jones, Nov 2006 on behalf of See Red (accessioned as part of Museum entry number e0016).

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The archive consists of papers relating to the activities and members of See Red Women's Workshop, 1974-1984. It includes correspondence; notebooks containing minutes; press cuttings; poster catalogues and photographs showing members at work in the screen-print workshop.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The publication 'Daughters of Britain' by Vera Douie, probably used as a photographic reference source for poster TWL.2006.02.29, was held with the papers. It was removed as a copy is held in The Women's Library Reading Room (Classmark as at Apr 2007: 331.40941 DOU).

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

This collection is available for research. 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

See also The Women's Library Museum collection TWL.2006.02 : a collection of 50 posters and 12 postcards produced by See Red Women's Workshop.

As at 2007 there were an additional 23 See Red objects (posters and one calendar) held in the wider TWL Museum collection [search 'Any text' for 'See Red'].

The Women's Library Printed Collections include some publications with illustrations by 'See Red'.

Finding aids

The Women's Library Catalogue.

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