THE Grand Central Hall in Mount Stewart, Co Down will from tomorrow host a special exhibition that presents an overview of the campaign for women’s suffrage from the late 19th century until the first decades of the 20th century, and commemorates the passing of the act in February 1918, which gave thousands of women in Britain and Ireland the right to vote in general elections.
The exhibition entitled Faces of Change: Votes for Women, features works from London's Imperial War Museum, the Ulster Museum, the National Trust and the National Portrait Gallery.
The exhibition paints a picture of the campaign for political representation through portraits of some of the key figures who rose to public prominence, including suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst, her daughters Christabel and Sylvia, Nancy Astor, the first woman to take her seat as MP in the House of Commons, and Edith, Lady Londonderry, founder of the Women’s Legion.
One of the most intriguing items on display will be a sheet of identity photographs of suffragettes which was issued to the National Portrait Gallery by Scotland Yard in 1914, shortly after Mary Richardson had infamously slashed Velasquez’ painting known as The Rokeby Venus in the National Gallery.
The exhibition will open on November 9 and will run from Thursday-Sunday 11am-3pm until February 3. Special events and tours will be planned for the duration. For more see Nationaltrust.org.uk
