2018 marked the centenary of The Representation of the People Act 1918, which introduced the franchise to women over the age of 30 who met a minimum property qualification. While not constituting the franchise on an equal basis with men, the Act of 1918 is widely accepted as having been a significant precursor to the eventual Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act of 1928.
The GWL collections feature a wide variety of books and objects relating to the Suffrage movement but our range of postcards is arguably the most visually arresting. Both for and against women’s suffrage, they have pictures and slogans that are often shocking and grotesque.
