Votes for Women: Suffrage and Women's Lives
Friday 12 January - December 2018
100 years ago women in Britain were granted the right to vote by the Representation of the People Act 1918. This revolutionary act gave 8.4 million women the chance to choose the people who would represent them in Parliament. To celebrate this anniversary, the Museum is exploring women’s lives in Cumbria and the history behind their right to vote.
The display tells the history of the suffragists and suffragettes and how women fought for their rights. Throughout the museum you can follow a trail of fascinating objects from the collections that highlight the variety and depth of women’s lives throughout Cumbrian history.
Discover Sal Madge who wore men’s clothes and challenged them to wrestling matches, and the orphaned girls channeled into domestic service at the Howard Orphan Home, as well as other intriguing stories. These objects come together to demonstrate that a history of women is a history of complex human beings. A larger story made up of a million smaller ones.
You are invited to conclude your experience by casting your vote on poignant topics in the exhibition voting booth, and become part of the evolving story.
- © Cumbria Archive Centre, Carlisle