Ribbons and Silk in the Colours of the WSPU

Category

Library Item

Item no

21462

Title

Ribbons and silk in the colours of the Women's Social Political Union

Description

A still life of ribbons and silks in the colours of the Women's Social Political Union: purple, green and white.

Artist / maker

MacLean, Kevin

Date

2010

Type

Digital image

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

The word suffrage, meaning voting tablet, derives from the Latin suffragium and is used to denote the right to vote.
Before 1866 it was unusual for women to enter a profession, or even further education and it was in that year that John Stuart Mill introduced the first amendment in favour of women's suffrage in the House of Commons. It was the first of many bills to be defeated between 1866 and 1892.
In 1867 the Women's Suffrage Society was formed in major cities, including Edinburgh and in 1903 Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters formed the Women's Social Political Union.
When the Liberals won the General Election in 1906, the WSPU resolved to harass them until women were given the vote and it was then that the Daily Mail newspaper first used the term suffragette to refer to the more militant women campaigners.
In 1908 the WSPU adopted purple, white, and green as its official colours. These colours were chosen by Emmeline Pethick Lawrence because "Purple...stands for the royal blood that flows in the veins of every suffragette...white stands for purity in private and public life...green is the colour of hope and the emblem of spring".

Exhibitions with this item

Other views of this item

Related images

Related subjects

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Ribbons

Government > National > Suffrage

Read how our collections have inspired people taking part in events, visits and community groups. Use the slider or navigation arrows to see more responses.

Ribbons and silk in the colours of the WSPU