Catalogue Number
NMLH.1995.39.54
Object Name
Poster
Title
'Women Vote Labour For The Children's Sake.'
People
Labour Party, Suffragettes, Thomas Henry
Events
Elections, 1929 General Election, Women's Suffrage
Date
1929
Description
A poster with an illustration of four children playing outdoors - three are pushing the youngest, a toddler in a wooden cart. The slogan reads: 'Women Vote Labour For The Children's Sake.'
This poster was intended to appeal to mothers, in the first election where all adult women (defined at the time as being over the age of 21) could vote equally with men. The imagery appeals to women in their role as mothers, rather than their own interests as individuals. Thomas Henry (1879â1962), who designed the poster, was the illustrator of the Just William books by Richmal Crompton. Just William was a very popular children's series which would have made the design more recognisable to parents.
The 1929 election saw Ramsay MacDonald's Labour Party win, but with a hung parliament, meaning Labour did not have a majority and needed to rely on other parties to vote for their policies. MacDonald (12 October 1866 â 9 November 1937) was one of the founders of the Labour Party and had been prime minister for 9 months in 1924. This time he remained as Prime Minister until 1931.
*On Display*
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