Banner, suffrage banner

This banner was made by members of the Hammersmith branch of the Women's Social and Political Union. It includes the WSPU motto 'Deeds not words' and the organisations purple, white and green colour scheme, introduced in 1908. Banners played a key role in delivering the Votes for Women message. They combined traditional feminine skills with defiant messages of civil disobedience. Branches of the WSPU were encouraged to design and create their own unique banners to carry in public processions and rallies to enhance the spectacle of these choreographed events and visually demonstrate mass nationwide support for the Votes for Women cause.
Many branches raised funds to create the banners. The Hammersmith banner appears to have creatively repurposed purple, white and green upholstery and curtaining off-cut fabrics probably sourced from members’ homes. The WSPU established 90 branches nationally but London remained the chief area of support with 34 local offices.
The Hammersmith branch of the WSPU was founded in February 1907 by Frances Rowe and other former members of the Hammersmith branch of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies. Rowe had a close friendship with WSPU member Dora Montefiore and was present at the meeting in October 1906 held by the WSPU in London to discuss its constitution. This influenced her decision to shift her allegiance from the non-militant National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies to the militant 'Deeds not Words' campaign. When her attempts in January 1907 to turn the Hammersmith NUWSS society, of which she was Honorary Secretary, towards the WSPU militant position failed, Frances broke away to form the Hammersmith branch of the WSPU.