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  RARE "VOTES FOR WOMEN" PENNANT WITH AN IMAGE OF A 1911 STATUETTE CALLED "SUFFRAGIST" BY ELLA BUCHANNAN; PROBABLY OF NEW YORK ORIGIN, THIS EXACT TEXTILE IS THE PLATE EXAMPLE FROM THE LEADING REFERENCE ON SUFFRAGE-RELATED OBJECTS

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): Approx. 20" x 37"
Flag Size (H x L): 11" x 28"
Description....:
Triangular, felt, suffragette pennant with a black register at the hoist end, on which an illustration is printed in white pigment. The image is a rendition of a statuette by Ella Buchannan, entitled the "The Suffragist Arousing Her Sisters". The suffragist is shown blowing her clarion over the figures of degradation, vanity, conventionality, and wage earner (only three of which are visible here, as the reverse of the sculpture is not shown).

Beyond the black register, the remainder of the pennant is yellow. On this the words "Votes for Women" appear in large Roman letters with open profiles. There is a yellow felt binding along the hoist to strengthen the point at which the textile would have been affixed to a wooden staff.

There are many types of Suffragette pennants, all of which are very desirable. Among them this is a standout and is especially rare. This exact textile is the plate example from a journal called the "Keynoter" (Summer/Fall/Winter 2008, Vol. 2008, No. 2-4), p. 42. Compiled and written by Kenneth Florey, this is the best reference on Suffrage memorabilia. Two other versions of the design, slightly different, were distributed by Carrie Chapman Catt's "Woman Suffrage Party" of New York City. One appears in the same journal, on the same page. Another appears in "Women's Suffrage Memorbilia," by Kenneth Florey (2013, McFarland & Co., North Carolina), on page B1. Another appears in "Threads of History" by Herbert Ridgeway Collins (1979, Smithsonian Press), as item 991 on page 391.

Although no attribution is assigned, it seems likely that the pennant was also produced for the Woman Suffrage Party. The meaning behind the imagery and the rarity, as well as its documentation as the plate example in the Florey-authored publication, make this an exceptional addition to any collection. Mounting: The textile was mounted and framed within our own conservation department, which is led by expert staff. We take great care in the mounting and preservation of flags and relate textiles and have framed thousands of examples. Feel free to contact us for further information.

The background is hemp fabric, ivory in color. The two-part frame consists of a scooped profile molding that is very dark brown in color, nearly black, with red undertones and highlights, to which a black-painted and gilded, Italian molding was added as a cap. Spacers keep the textile away from the glazing, which is U.V. protective glass.

Condition: There is modest water staining. There were felt ties along the hoist at one time, now absent.
Collector Level: Advanced Collectors and the Person with Everything
Flag Type:
Star Count:
Earliest Date of Origin: 1911
Latest Date of Origin: 1920
State/Affiliation: New York
War Association:
Price: SOLD
 

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