CTS - Museum of London
Since 2nd February the Museum of London was holding an exhibit showcasing the suffragettes’ movement. A movement organised by British women advocates to allow the right for women to vote. In the outbreak of the first world war, the Women’s Social and Political Union put their campaign on a standstill. But despite not the Suffragette militancy having failed to secure the vote they provided women with more opportunities in society. Bringing about change to society and by the year 1918, the opportunity for very few women over the age of 30 was given the parliamentary vote. This right was extended in 1928 allowing both genders to vote over the age of 21 years. In succession to the right for women to vote a series of events had occurred starting from 1915 where the fight for women’s right to serve march began. Organised by British political leader, Emmeline Pankhurst to encourage women to sign up for war service. Following in the footsteps of her mother for change in, Christabel Pankhurst stood as a candidate in the general election of 1918 but failed to win a seat. In spite of not winning a seat, another member Nancy Astor became the first female MP to sit in the House of Commons. She was also the first elected in 1919 as a Conservative candidate for Plymouth and campaigned on a range of social issues. The cabinets were displaying a flyer and a suit worn by Nancy Astor at the start of the exhibit followed by a number of flyers and possessions signifying a certain moment of time. Led by more posters and objects that had belonged to kids before and after the year 1939 where the mass evacuation of London children had begun. Below are images that I had taken, of some child’s belongings and a diary entry of child’s experience in the war.
(Image was taken by myself)
The exhibition space was a hallway of information following a timeline of events. The layout of the space physically was representing the order of information encouraging people to follow that order as they walk, with limited space to walk the other direction. Until the displays presented by the images above which gave people more room to use the interactions, for example, an object had to be moved to see what was inside the box. In my opinion, the method of viewing the boxes was pointless as it created a queue of people wanting as it took time for people to get a hang of how to use the objects to display the information. But the boxes were not the only interactive devices but also there were headphones in an offer for people to listen to the stories of people who lived during the war.
Reference:
Rights for women (2018) [exhibition]. Museum of London, London. 2 February 2018 – 6 January 2019.