One of Manchester’s most rare historical objects is back

By Jessica Reeves

Manchester as a city was ‘first in the fight’ back in 1908 when the Suffragettes campaigned to win women their right to vote.

The banner itself has been out of the public eye and laying undiscovered for many years. It is in fact in phenomenal condition considering it has adhered continuous rallies and creative campaigns by the women involved.

Originally the People’s History Museum lost its bid to display the banner but managed to combine crowd funding and help from the Heritage Lottery Funds to raise the £5000 needed to own one of the nation’s most important and rare historical objects.

WATCH: Programme and Events Officer Helen Antrobus explaining her thoughts about the movement and the banner being back in Manchester:

Jenny Mabbott, Head of Collections and Engagement at the People’s History Museum said:

“The Significant banner to suffragette history cannot be overstated, such pieces rarely come up for sale.

“What makes the banner even more special is that it witnessed some of the suffragette rallies that took place in Manchester, where the movement began.

First, the banner will be cared for by the in-house textile conservation team at the museum, ensuring it stays in suitable condition and is conserved for future generations

Next year, it will be moved to the temporary exhibition section of the museum as the staff want to ensure it has maximum protection. This may change depending on the circumstances, but it will be available on show for the public to access.

The People’s History museum is open seven days a week, for further details visit www.phm.org.uk

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• Manchester