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Mi I itant tactics Museum notice regarding admission for female visitors; regulations outlined by Sir Frederic George Kenyon (then Director of the British Museum), June 1914 In 1914 suffragette direct action took place across Britain. Ben Alsop examines its impact on the British Museum In the British Museum's Citi Money Gallery is a suffragette-defaced penny which, although originally a rather unremarkable penny of Edward VII, was made truly remarkable with the addition of the slogan 'Votes for women' struck defiantly across the head of the king. As an example of political protest and mass communication it is both innovative and beautifully simple, but what of the broader relationship between the British Museum and the suffragette movement? A century on from the infamous meat cleaver attack in 19 14 by suffragette Mary Richardson on Velazquez's Rokeby Venus in the National Gallery, delving into the British Museum's archives reveals that it was the focus for similar, if less well known, suffragette action. Already as early as March 19 12 the Museum's management was sufficiently worried about the threat of suffragette action to close its doors for three weeks. This perceived threat informed all levels of decision-making in the Museum, even how bicycle stores should be guarded. An internal report in 19 13 remarks: 'If the labourer in charge of the pound is withdrawn, the exclusion of the public follows as a matter of course, for the possibility of outrage by IN CONSEQUENCE OF THE INJURY DON E IN PUBLIC GALLERIES BY MILl1'ANT FEMALE SUFFRAGISTS NO WOMEN WILL BE ADMITTED TO THE GALLERIES EXCEPT BY TICKET. TICKETS WILL BE ISSUED TO ALL PERSONS ACCOMPANIED OR RECOMMENDED BY SOM E PERSON WILLING TO VOUCH FOR THEIR BEHAVIOUR AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE THAT MAY BE DONE. militant Suffragists or cranks, free from observation or disturbance is obvious. ' On 8 April 19 14 a suffragette, echoing Mary Richardson's attack in the National Gallery a month earlier, used a meat cleaver to smash a glass case in the Museum's Oriental galleries and in doing so broke 'a curiously fashioned saucer'. A note from the Works Department put the cost of repairing the ten large panes of glass at £22. The Daily News reported, 'the attitude of the other visitors to the Museum was decidedly hostile and there were angry shouts and some hissing before the woman was taken away'. One onlooker described the girl as 'nervous looking' and 'not at all like the type of suffragette who commits acts of this kind'. This 'nervous looking girl' turned out to be Mary Stewart, a woman who is recorded in the suffragette roll of honour for 1905 to 19 14, a list which details imprisoned suffragettes. Newspaper reports noted with interest that Stewart began her protest less than an hour after special attendants, who had been placed around the Museum to prevent such attacks, were removed from their posts. Stewart's protest was not an isolated example of suffragette direct action in the Museum. A note circulated among staff on 23 May 19 14 mentions the appearance of known suffragettes N ellipy Hay and Annie Wheeler in the Museum. The two women, who had been involved in disturbances at Bow Street Police Station the day before, were to be followed closel y. The note specifies that 'the Police Sergeant thinks they are out on bail. As they have not so far as he knows, been "convicted" they can only be shadowed, I presume. Being in the place it would be a difficult course to turn them out ... Word has been sent round to the Commissionaires to be vigilant.' The management's suspicions were proved correct: the women proceeded to smash a case containing an E gyp tian 52 British Museum Magazine Spring/Summer 2014
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The penny is on view in case 18 in the Citi Money gallery ; for details of this and other medals see the online collection at britishmuseum.org mummy. For their actions, both were imprisoned - Wheeler for two months and H ay for one. Following this second attack, the Museum Trustees' Standing Committee met and made a decision which seems extraordinary today. It was decreed that following the su ffragette attacks women would not be allowed into the Museum galleries unless accompanied by a responsible person or in possession of a note supporting their admission. The implementation of such measures drew comment in the press, with one gentleman, who had been asked to provide a letter supporting a woman's visit, writing to The Times to highlight the evident problems with the Standing Committee's regulations: 'It would appear that entrance can be gained by any person, whether evilly disposed or otherwise ... Its essence lies in the production of a letter couched in eulogistic language ... it would seem that the authorities of the British Museum give less credit than is deserved by the undoubted fertility of resource of the militant su ffragette. ' These constraints were held in place for two months until the Standing Committee decided on 20 August 1914 to lift the restrictions stipulating, however, that 'the regulation as to the inspection of handbags carried by women should remain in force'. While the Museum was a target for su ffragette attacks, it was also a valuable resource for some of the movement's most prominent activists. To gain access to the Museum's Reading Room prospective readers had to write a letter of application to the Principal Librarian. Notable applicants for readers' tickets linked to the su ffragette movement included Charlotte Despard in 1894, Vera Brittain in 1922 and Sylvia Pankhurst in 1908. The latter was the daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst, a founder member of the WSPU (Women's Social and Political Union), and it is her Suffragettedefaced penny, showing head of Edward VI I, 1903 Badge with ribbon and hunger strike medal, presented by the WSPU to Joan Cather on 4March 191 2 letter which is the most revealing: 'I desire to consult various Government publications and other works to which I cannot obtain access in any other way.' She concludes by stating her pro fession as 'artist' and her main o bj ective in applying as wanting to obtain 'information on the employment of women'. The British Museum therefore found itself in a peculiar position during the early part of the 20th century. It was seemingly both an attractive environment for political protest, and also a great repository for knowledge and information, which could further political causes such as the su ffragette movement. An o bject in the British Museum collection acts as the perfect companion piece to the penny in the Citi Money Gallery. It is a small silver medal with a green, white and purple ribbon which was awarded to su ffragettes who went on hunger strike while in prison. An inscription on the inside of the medal's presentation box reads: 'Presented to Joan Cather by the Women's Social & Political Union in recognition of a gallant action whereby through endurance to the last extremity of hunger and hardship a great principle of political justice was vindicated. ' The relationship between the su ffragette movement and the British Museum is a complicated one. This medal, however, is a simple evocation of the bravery and dedication of suffragettes in their fight for political and social justice. British Museum Magazine Spring/Summer 2014 53

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Mi I itant tactics

Museum notice regarding admission for female visitors; regulations outlined by Sir Frederic George Kenyon (then Director of the British Museum), June 1914

In 1914 suffragette direct action took place across Britain. Ben Alsop examines its impact on the British

Museum

In the British Museum's Citi Money Gallery is a suffragette-defaced penny which, although originally a rather unremarkable penny of Edward VII, was made truly remarkable with the addition of the slogan 'Votes for women' struck defiantly across the head of the king. As an example of political protest and mass communication it is both innovative and beautifully simple, but what of the broader relationship between the British Museum and the suffragette movement?

A century on from the infamous meat cleaver attack in 19 14 by suffragette Mary Richardson on Velazquez's Rokeby Venus in the National Gallery, delving into the British Museum's archives reveals that it was the focus for similar, if less well known, suffragette action. Already as early as March 19 12 the Museum's management was sufficiently worried about the threat of suffragette action to close its doors for three weeks. This perceived threat informed all levels of decision-making in the Museum, even how bicycle stores should be guarded. An internal report in 19 13 remarks: 'If the labourer in charge of the pound is withdrawn, the exclusion of the public follows as a matter of course, for the possibility of outrage by

IN CONSEQUENCE OF THE INJURY DON E IN PUBLIC

GALLERIES BY MILl1'ANT FEMALE SUFFRAGISTS NO

WOMEN WILL BE ADMITTED TO THE GALLERIES EXCEPT

BY TICKET. TICKETS WILL BE ISSUED TO ALL PERSONS

ACCOMPANIED OR RECOMMENDED BY SOM E PERSON

WILLING TO VOUCH FOR THEIR BEHAVIOUR AND BE

RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE THAT MAY BE DONE.

militant Suffragists or cranks, free from observation or disturbance is obvious. '

On 8 April 19 14 a suffragette, echoing Mary Richardson's attack in the National Gallery a month earlier, used a meat cleaver to smash a glass case in the Museum's Oriental galleries and in doing so broke 'a curiously fashioned saucer'. A note from the Works Department put the cost of repairing the ten large panes of glass at £22. The Daily News reported, 'the attitude of the other visitors to the Museum was decidedly hostile and there were angry shouts and some hissing before the woman was taken away'. One onlooker described the girl as 'nervous looking' and 'not at all like the type of suffragette who commits acts of this kind'.

This 'nervous looking girl' turned out to be Mary Stewart, a woman who is recorded in the suffragette roll of honour for 1905 to 19 14, a list which details imprisoned suffragettes. Newspaper reports noted with interest that Stewart began her protest less than an hour after special attendants, who had been placed around the Museum to prevent such attacks, were removed from their posts.

Stewart's protest was not an isolated example of suffragette direct action in the Museum. A note circulated among staff on 23 May 19 14 mentions the appearance of known suffragettes N ellipy Hay and Annie Wheeler in the Museum. The two women, who had been involved in disturbances at Bow Street Police Station the day before, were to be followed closel y. The note specifies that 'the Police Sergeant thinks they are out on bail. As they have not so far as he knows, been "convicted" they can only be shadowed, I presume. Being in the place it would be a difficult course to turn them out ... Word has been sent round to the Commissionaires to be vigilant.'

The management's suspicions were proved correct: the women proceeded to smash a case containing an E gyp tian

52 British Museum Magazine Spring/Summer 2014

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