2018 marks the centenary of the passing of the 1918 Representation of the People Act – the first time some women in the UK were given the right to vote. As part of the nationwide Vote 100 commemorations, the Museum of London, home to the world’s largest Suffragette collection, will host the Votes for Women programme.
Travers Smith LLP is delighted to announce its partnership with the Museum of London in support of this programme of events, displays and a newly commissioned film highlighting the legacy of the Suffragette story and its impact on society and politics between 1903 and 1914. Through protest, disruption and damage to property that led to the arrest and imprisonment of over 1000 women, the Suffragettes' impact on London life became a force to be reckoned with in the early days of the 20th century.
The programme includes a unique Votes of Women display dedicated to all those who campaigned tirelessly for over 50 years to achieve votes for women. The display, which opens on 2 February, features highly personal and iconic objects from the museum’s vast collections relating to the imprisonment of individual Suffragettes, and includes Emmeline Pankhurst’s hunger strike medal. At the heart of the display is a powerful film that reflects on the contemporary relevance of the militant campaign that continues to inspire, shock and divide opinion.
Other events in the programme include a family friendly weekend festival on 3 & 4 February to coincide with the centenary of the Representation of the People Act, Suffragette bus tours of London, and an adult literary event on 24 March.
Travers Smith's Managing Partner David Patient said: "The Museum of London's Votes for Women programme provides an excellent opportunity to look back on the past 100 years and celebrate the courage of all those women who tirelessly fought to win the right to vote and create greater equality in our society. We, at Travers Smith, pride ourselves on our diverse and inclusive culture and are fully committed to promoting gender equality both in our organisation and the wider society. We are, therefore, absolutely delighted to be partnering with the Museum of London and sponsoring this fantastic Votes for Women programme."
Beverley Cook, Social & Working History Curator at the Museum of London said: “The centenary commemoration has provided the opportunity to take a fresh look at the Votes for Women campaign, its legacy and relevance to contemporary life. As curator of the world’s largest collection of material relating to the Suffragette movement it has been a privilege to delve deep into the archive to discover the individual stories of courage, comradeship and commitment. The museum’s programme will provide a dynamic interpretation of the collection and bring many images and objects into public view for the first time.”
The Votes for Women display runs at the Museum of London from 2 February 2018 until 6 January 2019. Further information can be found on the Museum of London website: www.museumoflondon.org.uk/votesforwomen