Suffrage and the Arts by Miranda Garrett Zoë Thomas

Author:Miranda Garrett,Zoë Thomas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury UK

FIGURE 5.3 Advertisement for Roberta Mills from Votes for Women, 4 March 1910. Image courtesy of Robert J. E. Simpson.

Roberta Mills was also prepared to make up her designs in the colours of the National Union for Women’s Suffrage Societies and of the Women’s Freedom League. For instance, for the Women’s Freedom League’s ‘Green, White and Gold Fair’ in April 1909, she offered ‘Handwrought leather, Special designs in green, white, and gold’ and advertised in the first effective issue of The Vote, offering goods in ‘League colours’.37 However, although her sympathy was doubtless with the cause, Roberta Mills did not boycott the 1911 census and was enumerated, living at home with her mother at 7 Stansfield Road, Brixton.

Like Clara Strong and Louisa Folkard, Roberta Mills had no telephone and must have dealt with customers at home or by post. A selection of her Women’s Social and Political Union related goods was held in the Union’s Clement’s Inn office, to whom she presumably paid a commission and, on occasion, she joined with others to display her goods. For instance, in 1909, she had items for sale in The Studio, 31 York Place, Baker Street, along with two other regular advertisers in Votes for Women, Mora Puckle (1875–1962), a maker of ‘modern artistic dress’, and Marie Rochford (1878–1963), a milliner. Later the same year, she even advertised that she was holding a one-day exhibition at The Art Gallery, Newman Street with Mora Puckle and Clare Reynolds (an artist).38 Once Roberta Mills ceased her advertisements in the suffrage press, she drops out of sight. All that is known further is that she married Edward H. Lane in 1916 and died, relatively young, in 1928, leaving no will.

Once costumed, behatted and accessorized in leather, the dedicated suffragette might next have looked for items of jewellery in order to display her attachment to the cause. If so, her eye might have been caught by Annie Steen’s advertisements. Annie (1877–?) had been born in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, one of the eight children of John Steen (1838–1918), an engine driver at an iron works, and his wife Naomi (c. 1839–1893), and by 1888 was a student at the Birmingham Municipal School of Art. In 1891, she won a silver medal in the National Competition for Schools of Art for a design for pillow lace, by 1906 was a member of the Birmingham Art Circle, and in 1910, 1912 and 1916 exhibited jewellery at the Arts and Crafts Exhibitions.39

In 1909, Annie Steen was advertising in Votes for Women, offering jewellery ‘hand wrought in gold and silver, set with stones in the colours’.40 In advance of the Union’s Prince’s Skating Rink Exhibition, the Midland Women’s Social and Political Union headquarters reported that ‘Miss Steen has some beautiful specimens of art metal work that she has offered to do in the colours. She is willing to show them to members, so that they may order brooches, buckles, pendants etc from the stall’.41 No indication, however, is given of Annie Steen’s prices, although the pieces she exhibited with the Arts and Crafts Society ranged from £2 5s.

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