Suffrage jewellery

[1] The suffragettes, in particular, successfully embraced the language of contemporary fashion - including its emphasis on delicate femininity - as a strategy for increasing the popular appeal of their movement and dodging the stereotype of the 'masculine' women's rights campaigner.

"[2] Most suffragette jewellery featured the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) colours: purple, white, and green.

[1] Popular designs for suffrage jewellery included Sylvia Pankhurst's 'Angel of Freedom' design, hatpins in the shape of an arrow to evoke the prison convict's arrow, and badges displaying photos of the WSPU leaders.

[3] However, as scholar Elizabeth Goring notes, the purple-white-green colour combination was deeply symbolic of the Suffragette Movement and the use of these colours "offered a powerful means by which suffragettes could publicly advertise their identity," and would not be construed as merely decorative by others.

[4] The Museum of London permanent collection contains an example of a bespoke piece of suffragette jewellery with clear provenance, created by Ernestine Mills to commemorate the release from Holloway Prison of Louise Mary Eates, Secretary of Kensington Women's Social and Political Union.