Rare suffragette banner hidden in charity shop for 10 years
Lovely story of how you cant keep a good artifact down…..
One of the most important pieces of suffragette history has been bought for the nation after languishing in an obscure charity shop for 10 years.
A banner that provided the backdrop for many of Emmeline Pankhurst’s most famous speeches had been tucked away in a cupboard in the Halton Moor and Osmondthorpe Project for Elders charity shop in Leeds. It had been donated as part of a house clearance, with volunteers unaware of its significance.
Embroidered with the legend “Manchester – first in the fight”, the purple banner has been bought by the People’s History Museum in Pankhurst’s hometown of Manchester and will go on display next May for the centenary of women getting the vote.