Flash Back to Pre World War One

Suffragettes in 1913 London

This is a great clip I came across recently. It is a demonstration for votes for women in Pre- War 1913 London England. Everybody was so well dressed and especially the big hats on women. What a contrast with today’s demonstrators! Straw boaters were very much in evidence on the men, including a very upset young boy who got caught up in the demonstration. You will notice that the women demonstrators got arrested. The women would go on hunger strike in jail and were force fed. A favorite technique would be to release the women who got ill and then when they recovered they would be re-imprisoned -- the so called Cat and Mouse Act. Women in Britain gained the vote after demonstrating their usefulness in the 1914-1918 War but only for women 30 years and older. Those 21 or older were given the vote later in the 1920s.

What a different world -- some good things and some bad things. The people in the clip have all passed away but they do not seem too different from us today going about their business. My favorite is the ladies on the Omnibuses wearing their over sized hats -- what strong hat pins they must have had! Thanks to the British Film Institute (BFI) for preserving this and other vintage film clips -- what a joy!