Fonds GB 106 9/15 - Women's Institute [Club]: (Autograph Letter Collection)

1 A box (1 volume)

GB 106 9/15 1897-1928 fonds 1 A box (1 volume) Women's Institute , 1897-1928 x Women Only Club

The club named the Women's Institute (1897-1928) predated the more famous National Federation of Women's Institutes by almost two decades and was of a very different character. It was founded in 1897 at 15 Grosvenor Crescent by Mrs Nora Wynford Philipps and was intended to be a centre for women involved in the professions, education, social and philanthropic work. It was also intended to make other societies' work better known through its information bureau and co-operated with the Central Bureau for the Employment of Women regularly. It initially held weekly debates and 'at homes' run by the Executive Committee and organised a musical society, an art society, a recreational department, a circulating library, and a voluntary workers' society for philanthropic work. It also organised a secretarial department that undertook the training of typists and book keepers as well as an employment service for its members. At the same time it acted as a centre for the organisation of social and educational activities and a centre for research and dissemination of information on various subjects. It was responsible for the publication of several works such as Mrs Sidgwick's 'The Place of University Education in the Life of Women', pamphlet versions of lectures and the 'Dictionary of Employments Open to Women'. By the turn of the century it had over 800 members and maintained links with over 45 other groups, making it necessary to move to its second location at 92 Victoria Street from where a large range of other feminist organisations operated. In 1916 it was responsible for the opening of the Women's Club for the wives and mothers of servicemen and during the First World War gave rooms to the British Women's Patriotic League, the London School of Needlework, the Women's Local Government Society and the Head Mistresses Association amongst others. After the war, it was the location of meetings of the Dexter Club, the Censorship Club and the association for former members of the Scottish Women's Hospitals. While is appears to have still been active in 1925, activities ceased some time around 1928.

The collection contains letters to the Women's Institute from its members including Miss Beale, Dr Mary Scharlieb, Emma Cons, Walter B McLaren, Florence Dixie, Henrietta Barnet, Margaret Bondfield, Helen Gladstone, Helen Blackburn, Elizabeth Haldane, Ethel Moberley Bell, Madge Kendal, Ethel Smythe, Lady Isabel Somerset, Lena Ashwell, Mrs Fawcett, Cicely Hamilton, Rosita Forbes, Miss P Strachey, Charlotte C Stopes, EM Sidgwick, Flora Anne Steel and Nina Boyle.

Chronological

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

English

Abstracts of individual letters in the autograph letters collection were written and held alongside the letters. This work was done from the 1960s by volunteers including Nan Taylor. In 2004 Jean Holder completed a 3 year project to list the letters, copy-type the abstracts, and repackage the letters to meet preservation needs. In 2005 Vicky Wylde and Teresa Doherty proof read and imported the entries to the Special Collections Catalogue.

The original card index of all correspondents, including date of letter and volume reference, is available on the microfiche.

A copy of this archive is available on microfilm held at The Women's Library.

Also held at The Women's Library is a scrapbook relating to The Women's Institute (10/38).

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.

25/03/2008 Ashwell , Lena , d 1957 , actress and producer Dixie , Lady , Florence Caroline , 1857-1905 , nee Douglas , poet, war correspondent and explorer Haldane , Elizabeth Sanderson , 1862-1937 , Scottish social worker and author Gladstone , Helen , 1849-1925 , Vice Principal of Newnham College Cambridge Hamilton , Cicely , 1872-1952 , writer and actor McLaren , Walter Stowe Bright , 1853-1912 , MP Bondfield , Margaret Grace , 1873-1953 , trade unionist, campaigner for women and politician Fawcett , Dame , Millicent Garrett , 1847-1929 , feminist and suffragist Kendal , Dame , Madge , 1848-1935 , actress Forbes , Joan Rosita , 1893-1967 , traveller and author x Sitt Khadija x McGrath , Joan Rosita Sidgwick , Henry , b 1900 , Principal of Newnham College Societies Strachey , Philippa , 1872-1968 , feminist activist and organiser Leisure Women Organizations Associations Employment Womens organizations Internal politics Womens employment Electoral systems Womens suffrage Blackburn , Helen , 1842-1903 , suffragist Cons , Emma , 1838-1912 , social reformer, educationalist and theatre manager Barnett , Dame , Henrietta Octavia Weston , 1851-1936 , social reformer and author Scharlieb , Dame , Mary Anne Dacomb , 1845-1930 , surgeon Steel , Flora Annie , 1847-1929 , nee Webster , novelist Sidgwick , Eleanor Mildred , 1845-1936 , Principal of Newnham College Cambridge Stopes , Charlotte Carmichael , 1841-1929 , writer on sixteenth-century literature Boyle , Constance Antonina , 1865-1943 , women's rights campaigner x Boyle , Nina Women's Institute Sex Sex distribution

The collection contains letters to the Women's Institute from its members including Miss Beale, Dr Mary Scharlieb, Emma Cons, Walter B McLaren, Florence Dixie, Henrietta Barnet, Margaret Bondfield, Helen Gladstone, Helen Blackburn, Elizabeth Haldane, Ethel Moberley Bell, Madge Kendal, Ethel Smythe, Lady Isabel Somerset, Lena Ashwell, Mrs Fawcett, Cicely Hamilton, Rosita Forbes, Miss P Strachey, Charlotte C Stopes, EM Sidgwick, Flora Anne Steel and Nina Boyle.

Chronological

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

• English

• Latin

English

Also held at The Women's Library is a scrapbook relating to The Women's Institute (10/38).

Abstracts of individual letters in the autograph letters collection were written and held alongside the letters. This work was done from the 1960s by volunteers including Nan Taylor. In 2004 Jean Holder completed a 3 year project to list the letters, copy-type the abstracts, and repackage the letters to meet preservation needs. In 2005 Vicky Wylde and Teresa Doherty proof read and imported the entries to the Special Collections Catalogue.

The original card index of all correspondents, including date of letter and volume reference, is available on the microfiche.

A copy of this archive is available on microfilm held at The Women's Library.

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.

• English