Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections LibraryRose Oliveira
This collection is open for research.
MSS 16793, Votes for Women printing block, Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia.
This collection was purchased from Max Rambod by the Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia on March 27,2023.
Suffrage Atelier was an artists' collective founded in 1909 that campaigned for women's suffrage in England. The Suffrage Atelier's policy was to produce only what could be quickly reproduced and circulated. The Suffrage Atelier held its first public meeting in London in February 1909, styling itself as an "Arts and Crafts Society working for the enfranchisement of women.
The collection contains a printing block measuring 6" x 7.5" x 1" made of wood and metal. The printing block is headlined "Roll of Honor" with a suffrage pennant emblazoned "Votes for Women" below. Underneath the pennant, an inscription reads, "Distinguished people who have declared themselves for woman suffrage." Beneath are columns titled "Statesman," "Preachers," "Men of Letters," and "Educators." These columns list names such as Mark Twain, Plato, and Jack London. Though uncredited, this block may have been produced by the Suffrage Atelier, an artists' collective founded in 1909 that campaigned for women's suffrage in England. The design and font also recall the aesthetic style of the Suffrage Atelier.