Archives of Sylvia’s Work
Institutions holding archive material about Sylvia Pankhurst in order of significance
Other Archives
Redbridge Heritage Centre has resources about Sylvia Pankhurst including:
- copies of the Woodford Times newspaper containing Sylvia’s correspondence with her local M.P, Sir Winston Churchill
- books by and about Sylvia Pankhurst
- local historian Sylvia Ayling’s archive on Sylvia Pankhurst’s life and ideas, and their dissemination in the modern world including the Wanstead and Woodford Women for Peace archive
- photographs, maps, printed works and archives about Woodford
The Heritage Centre can show you how to get easily and quickly by public transport to sites in Woodford associated with Sylvia Pankhurst.
Ethel Haslam and the Ilford WSPU
There was a large and active Ilford & District Branch of the Women's Social & Political Union which for some time retained a sympathetic connection with Sylvia’s work in the East End. The history of these women has been told in a book by Patricia Heron: The Life of Ethel Haslam: Ilford’s Suffragette, which can be consulted at Redbridge Heritage Centre.
International Institute of Social History, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
IISG
The main body of Sylvia Pankhurst’s papers, as inherited by her son, Dr Richard Pankhurst are held at the International Institute of Social History (IISH, or IISG in Flemish) in Amsterdam.
The collections, known as the Estelle Sylvia Pankhurst Papers were deposited at the IISH by Sylvia’s son, Dr Richard Pankhurst in 1961 with later additions in 1976.
The digitised collections can be viewed here:
IISG Sylvia Pankhurst search
London School of Economics (LSE) & Political Science Library Archive & Special Collections, London
Women’s Library (at LSE Library Archive and Special Collections)
The Women’s Library archive about Sylvia Pankhurst (catalogue number 7/ESP) consists of articles and essays by Sylvia Pankhurst, her prison discharge notice of 1914, and her correspondence relating to the International Ethiopian Council. The archive was donated in 2002 and 2003 by her son Dr Richard Pankhurst and also includes articles by him and the correspondence of her daughter-in-law, Rita Pankhurst, relating to Sylvia Pankhurst.
The Woman’s Dreadnought newspaper (1914-1917) and Workers’ Dreadnought newspaper (1917-1924) were edited by Sylvia Pankhurst. They were published by the East London Federation of Suffragettes, renamed in March 1917 as the Workers’ Suffrage Federation and renamed again in May 1917 as the Workers’ Socialist Federation. The Federation allied with the Communist Party until Sylvia Pankhurst was expelled from the Party in September 1921 for refusing to put the Dreadnought under the Party’s control.
Both The Woman’s Dreadnought and Workers’ Dreadnought newspapers can be viewed online as part of the Women’s Rights collection of the Women’s Library (listed under ‘Suffrage journals and newspapers’)
LSE The Suffrage Collection
LSE Library Archive and Special Collections
Another set of material relates to Sylvia Pankhurst’s friend the social campaigner, journalist and politician George Lansbury and her correspondence with the Independent Labour Party, 1914-1941.The archive contains some personal letters connected with key points in her life and the whole set of the Ethiopia Observer (from the 1950s), founded and published by Sylvia Pankhurst and later taken over by Dr Richard Pankhurst.
The Churchill Archives Centre, Churchill College, Cambridge
Correspondence between Winston Churchill MP for Woodford and his constituent Sylvia Pankhurst
For over 30 years the quiet suburb of Woodford Green on the borders of Essex (now in the London Borough of Redbridge) was connected to two of the leading political figures of the 20th century.
Winston Churchill became MP for Epping in 1924. His constituency included Woodford Green which became Sylvia’s home also in 1924.When his constituency split in 1945, Churchill continued as MP for Woodford until his retirement in 1964. Sylvia left Woodford to move to Ethiopia in 1956.
As one of Churchill’s most vociferous constituents, Sylvia corresponded with him at length over Italian aggression in Abyssinia, about Franco’s forces in Spain and also about fascist threats much closer to home – for example, attacks on Jews in London’s East End and on anyone seen to be supporting them. Churchill and Pankhurst shared a strong objection to fascism, but while Churchill’s main concern was the threat of German dictatorship, Sylvia urged him to pay more attention to the dangers from Italy.
Items may be found in the Churchill Archives Centre folders (covering the years 1935 – 1948) CHAR 7/21; CHAR 7/32; CHAR 7/40; CHAR 7/48; CHAR 7/58; CHAR 2/68A-B
The items can be viewed online via subscription at
Further correspondence between Pankhurst and Churchill printed in the Woodford Times newspaper (April 1936) may be viewed at Redbridge Heritage Centre.
Other Archives
A record of other collections related to Sylvia Pankhurst is maintained by The National Archives
Known archives are:
Papers relating to Sylvia Pankhurst’s campaigns on Ethiopia and correspondence with the Society of Authors, 1931-1960, held at the British Library, Manuscript Collections
Sylvia Pankhurst correspondence with FW Pethick-Lawrence, held at Cambridge University: Trinity College Library
Sylvia Pankhurst correspondence with William Gillies, 1935-1937, held at the Labour History Archive and Study Centre, People’s History Museum
Sylvia Pankhurst letters to the Manchester Guardian newspaper, 1948-1952, held at Manchester University: John Rylands Library
Sylvia Pankhurst letters to David Lloyd George, 1915, held at Oxford University: Bodleian Library, Special Collections
Sylvia Pankhurst correspondence with Ada Lois James, held at State Historical Society of Wisconsin, USA
Letter to London County Council regarding tenants in Grove Road, Stepney; City of London Court Sessions conviction of Sylvia Pankhurst and her sentencing to 6 months imprisonment at Holloway Prison on 28 October 1920 for publishing an issue of 'The Workers Dreadnought', which included articles believed to be contrary to the Defence of the Realm Act, 1914; letters to City of London relating to Red Cottage, 126 High Road, Woodford for provision of electricity (1928), water (1931), electric and gas (1936) over Epping Forest land; paper related to GLC Blue Plaque, 1985, held at London Metropolitan Archives
Copies of the Woman’s Dreadnought newspaper, a first edition copy of The Suffragette signed by its author Sylvia Pankhurst and collection of pamphlets, news cuttings and photographs related to suffragettes in the East End, held at Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archive
The British Museum archives holds Sylvia’s application for admission to the Museum’s Reading Room of the British Library. Dated 24 January 1908, Sylvia applied to ‘consult various Government Publications and other works to which I cannot obtain access’ with her ultimate aim to ‘obtain information on the employment of women.’ Presumably Sylvia wanted to carry out research after undertaking her painting tour of Northern England and Scotland in summer 1907.
The British Museum archives holds Sylvia’s application for admission to the Museum’s Reading Room of the British Library. Dated 24 January 1908, Sylvia applied to ‘consult various Government Publications and other works to which I cannot obtain access’ with her ultimate aim to ‘obtain information on the employment of women.’ Presumably Sylvia wanted to carry out research after undertaking her painting tour of Northern England and Scotland in summer 1907.
Suffrage objects in the British Museum
The BT Archive holds correspondence (only uncovered in 2018) between Sylvia and the Postmaster General in which she expressed concerns over telephone surveillance.
Letters discovered in BT archive reveal Sylvia Pankhurst's wiretapping fears
The National Archives holds the security service MI5’s surveillance file on Sylvia which was released to the general public in 2004. As part of a project by WORLDwrite, volunteers photographed the files which can be seen here Sylvia's Security Files
The Sylvia Pankhurst Memorial Committee aims to create a permanent memorial statue to Sylvia in a prominent location in London and also organises an annual lecture, some of which appear on line The Sylvia Pankhurst Memorial Committee
Although not about Sylvia Pankhurst, resources about women’s suffrage for schools were developed by the Historical Association and the Association for Citizenship Teaching with support from the Government Equalities Office and Cabinet Office Women's Suffrage Resources
Places to Visit
Museum of London has one of the best UK collection of suffragette archives, objects and visual material. The Museum acquired the collection in 1950 from the Suffragette Fellowship, a group formed in 1926 from former members of the Women’s Social and Political Union to perpetuate the memory of the campaign. Items can be seen in the Museum of London’s permanent galleries
The Pankhurst Centre, Manchester is based in Sylvia’s childhood home and features a permanent exhibition about the Pankhurst family including one of Sylvia’s typewriters and the campaign for the women’s vote. It holds a range of events and is also the headquarters of Manchester Women’s Aid
People’s History Museum, Manchester is the national museum of democracy, telling the story of its development in Britain past, present, and future and has displays on the suffrage movement
Redbridge Museum, Ilford has a permanent display about local Woodford resident Sylvia Pankhurst
Working Class Movement Library, Salford holds books by and about Sylvia Pankhurst and microfiche copies of the Worker’s Dreadnought magazine Working Class Movement Library
Books
Selected writings by Sylvia Pankhurst in order of publication (several are out of print)
The Suffragette: The History of the Women’s Militant Suffrage Movement
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia; Sturgis & Walton, 1911
Housing and the Workers’ Revolution
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia; Workers Socialist Federation, 1918
Soviet Russia As I Saw It
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia; Workers’ Dreadnought newspaper, 16 April 1921
India and the Earthly Paradise
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia; Sunshine Publishing House, Bombay, 1926
Delphos or the Future of International Language
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia; Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., London, 1927
Save the Mothers
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia; Knopf, 1930
Poems of Mihail Eminescu
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia with I Stefanovici; Kegan Paul,Trench, Trubner & Co, London, 1930
The Suffragette Movement
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia; Longmans,1931; Virago, 1977
The Home Front; A Mirror to Life in England During the World War
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia; Mayflower Press, 1932; The Cresset Library, 1987
The Life of Emmeline Pankhurst
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia; Laurie, 1935
British Policy in Eritrea and Northern Ethiopia
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia; Woodford Green, 1945
British Policy in Eastern Ethiopia 1, the Ogaden and the reserved area
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia; Woodford Green, 1945
Education in Ethiopia
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia, Woodford Green: New Times and Ethiopia News Book Department, 1946
The Ethiopian People: their Rights and Progress
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia, Woodford Green: New Times and Ethiopia News Book Department, 1946
Ex-Italian Somaliland
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia, (ed.,), Watts & Co, 1951
Eritrea on the Eve: The Past And Future Of Italy's "First-Born" Colony, Ethiopia's Ancient Sea Province
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia; New Times and Ethiopia News, Woodford Green, 1952
Ethiopia and Eritrea, The Last Phase of the Reunion Struggle 1941 – 1952
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia & Pankhurst, Richard; Lalibela House, Woodford Green, 1953
Ethiopia, A Cultural History
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia; Lalibela House, Woodford Green, 1955
Communism and its tactics
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia, edited and introduced by Mark Shipway, Shipway, Edinburgh,1983
A Suffragette in America: Reflections on Prisoners, Pickets and Political Change
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia, edited by Katherine Connelly; Pluto Press, 2019
In this short video, Katherine Connelly, editor of 'A Suffragette in America: Reflections on Prisoners, Pickets and Political Change', details how Pankhurst's US experiences had a profound impact on her personal development as a political activist, and in turn, on the wider British suffrage movement.
Katherine Connelly | Introducing 'Sylvia Pankhurst: A Suffragette in America'
Books about Sylvia Pankhurst
The most comprehensive biography of Sylvia Pankhurst is Natural Born Rebel by Rachel Holmes (2020).
A good introduction is A Crusading Life by Shirley Harrison (2003).
Sylvia Pankhurst: From Artist to Anti-Fascist
Bullock, Ian; Palgrave Macmillan UK, 1992
Sylvia and Christabel Pankhurst
Castle, Barbara; Penguin, 1987
Sylvia Pankhurst: Suffragette, Socialist and Scourge of Empire - Revolutionary Lives
Connelly, Katherine; Pluto Press, 2013
A film of a talk by Katherine Connelly including an introduction by Helen Pankhurst can be seen here Sylvia Pankhurst - Suffragette, Socialist and Scourge of Empire
Sylvia Pankhurst: A Life in Radical Politics
Davis, Mary; Pluto Press, 1999
A Sylvia Pankhurst Reader
Dodd, Kathryn (ed.); MUP, 1993
Sylvia Pankhurst, Citizen of the World
Harrison, Shirley; Hornbeam Publishing Limited, 2009
Sylvia Pankhurst, a Classroom Companion
Harrison, Shirley, ed. Bhullar, Talvinder; Hornbeam Publishing Limited, 2009
Sylvia Pankhurst: A Crusading Life 1882–1956
Harrison, Shirley; Aurum Press, 2003; reprinted in paperback as Sylvia Pankhurst: A Maverick Life 1882–1956; 2004 and Sylvia Pankhurst: The Rebellious Suffragette; Golden Guides Press Ltd, 2012
Sylvia Pankhurst: Natural Born Rebel
Holmes, Rachel; Bloomsbury, 2020
Several filmed interviews with Rachel Holmes about her book Natural Born Rebels can be found online
The Fighting Pankhursts
Mitchell, David; Pan, 1964
Sylvia Pankhurst
Norris, Katy; Eiderdown Books, 2019
Sylvia Pankhurst: Artist and Crusader
Pankhurst, Richard K; Paddington Press, 1979
Sylvia Pankhurst, Counsel for Ethiopia
Pankhurst, Richard K; Tsehai Publishers, 2003
Sylvia Pankhurst, Ethiopia, and the Spanish Civil War
Pankhurst, Richard K; in Women’s History Review, Volume 15, 2006, Issue 5
The Pankhursts: The History of One Radical Family
Pugh, M; Allen Lane, 2001
E. Sylvia Pankhurst: Portrait of a Radical
Romero, Patricia; Yale University Press, 1987
(NB Rita Pankhurst's paper 'Sylvia Pankhurst in Perspective; some comments on Patricia Romero's biography' was written as a critique of this book in Women's Studies Int. Forum, Vol 11 no.3, 1988 which may be found in the Women's Library, LSE Library, London. A further critique of the book by Dr Richard Pankhurst can be found in the IISH.)
Ethiopian Reminiscences - Early Days; Tsehai Publishers, 2013
In Letters of Gold; the story of Sylvia Pankhurst and the East London Federation of the Suffragettes in Bow
Taylor, Rosemary; Stepney Books, 1993
Sylvia Pankhurst: Sexual Politics & Political Activism
Winslow, Barbara; UCL Press, 1996
Books by the Pankhursts
Suffrage and the Pankhursts
Marcus, Jane (editor); Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1987
Unshackled – The Story of How We Won the Vote
Pankhurst, Christabel; Hutchinson 1959
The Hidden Scourge
Pankhurst, Christabel
My Own Story
Pankhurst, Emmeline; Virago, 1979
Sylvia Pankhurst: Artist and Crusader
Pankhurst, Richard K; Paddington Press, 1979
Sylvia Pankhurst, Counsel for Ethiopia
Pankhurst, Richard K; Tsehai Publishers, 2003
Dr Richard Pankhurst has written extensively about Ethiopia, most recently Ethiopian Reminiscences - Early Days; Tsehai Publishers, 2013
Deeds not Words: The Story Of Women's Rights Then And Now
Helen Pankhurst; Hodder & Stoughton, 2018
Newspapers and Magazines edited by Sylvia Pankhurst
The Woman’s Dreadnought newspaper, March 1914 – July 1917
Digital copy is available online at LSE:
The Suffrage Collection
Workers’ Dreadnought newspaper, July 1917 – June 1924
Digital copy is available online at LSE:
Germinal, 1923
Humanity, 1932
New Times and Ethiopia News, 9 May 1936 – 5 May 1956
British Library
Ethiopia Observer, 1956-1960
LSE Library
Artworks
Sylvia’s Artworks in Museums
Some of Sylvia’s paintings are still owned by the Pankhurst family or are in unknown private collections while around 13 works are in public museums. However, several museums have examples of objects which feature Sylvia’s designs for the Women’s Social and Political Union.
The first exhibition of Sylvia’s paintings was organised by her friend (and neighbour in Woodford) Esla Fraenkel, at the French Institute, London, in 1959. The first major exhibition of Sylvia’s work was organised by her son, Dr Richard Pankhurst and held at the Museum of Labour History, London, in 1982. There have been more recent exhibitions at Tate Britain (2013), Manchester Art Gallery, Museum of Wigan Life and Scarborough Art Gallery (all 2018).
A sale of ten of Sylvia’s paintings owned by Molly Cook and family and was held at Bonhams on 5 March 2002. Sylvia had given the paintings to Molly’s grandfather Ernest O’Brien, the landlord of the building known as the Women’s Hall, Old Ford Road, Bow, which Sylvia rented as the headquarters of the East London Federation of Suffragettes between 1914 and 1924. Two paintings were bought by the Palace of Westminster Parliamentary Art Collection and one by Leicester Museums.
A sale of seven studies for the Passion play, drawn by Sylvia at Oberammergau, Southern Germany in 1910 were sold at auction by Bonhams in 2012.
Four paintings were acquired by Tate from the Pankhurst family in 2018.
The best book about Sylvia’s art is Sylvia Pankhurst: Artist and Crusader by Richard Pankhurst, Paddington Press, 1979
IISG - International Institute of Social History, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The IISG have several works by Sylvia including sketches of women and children intended for a large painting c.1911 and two paintings which appear to be part of Sylvia’s ‘working women’ series from 1907 that may show Scottish fisherwomen in Scarborough. Also at the IISH are some of the original manuscripts from Sylvia’s ‘working women’ tour of the Midlands, northern England and Scotland which give insights into the paintings.
The collection was donated to the IISG by Sylvia’s son, Dr Richard Pankhurst in 1961.
IISG
Leicester Museums
In 2002, Leicester Museums purchased a pastel sketch by Sylvia Pankhurst, dated 1907, of an Equity Shoe factory worker, believed to be Alice Hawkins. This was part of Sylvia’s ‘working women’ series. Alice Hawkins was a leading suffragette and was commemorated with a statue in Leicester city centre in 2018 as part of the centenary of (some) women gaining the vote.
Alice Hawkins Suffragette
Museum of London
In this self-portrait in pastel and charcoal, Sylvia Pankhurst shows herself wearing prison dress. Sylvia was first sent to Holloway Prison for suffragette militancy in 1907, and was shocked by the conditions endured by women inmates. On her release, she exposed the realities of prison life in the press.
Museum of London Collections
The Museum of London holds one of the best collections of suffragette items, many of which are on permanent display. This includes WSPU items which feature designs by Sylvia Pankhurst.
National Portrait Gallery
National Portrait Gallery Sylvia Pankhurst
From around 1904, Keir Hardie developed a close and intimate relationship with Sylvia Pankhurst, one of the leading figures in the campaign to establish votes for women. With Pankhurst, Hardie became deeply involved in promoting the cause of women's suffrage. After his death in 1915, Sylvia described him in The Woman's Dreadnought magazine which she edited as 'the greatest human being of our time'. This impressionistic watercolour, featuring Hardie with pipe in mouth was probably painted when Sylvia used to visit him as an art student in London during 1905.
James Keir Hardie, 1856-1915 By Sylvia Pankhurst 1882-1960, Watercolour, before 1910, NPG 3979
This portrait was given to the National Portrait Gallery by Sylvia Pankhurst in 1956. Of the portrait she wrote 'I am very conscious that this is only a sketch and was purely a preliminary study to assist me to do a painting ... I should not have ventured to offer it to the National Portrait Gallery save for the fact that I believe you have no other portrait of Keir Hardie, whose place in history is of importance ... I think it does give an idea of the kind of man Keir Hardie was.' Sylvia’s son, Richard, wrote that: ‘As long as I can remember it hung in a prominent place in her study [at ‘West Dene’, 3 Charteris Road], Woodford’.
James Keir Hardie, 1856-1915 By Sylvia Pankhurst 1882-1960, Charcoal, white chalk and red crayon drawing, circa 1910, NPG 3978
This is an interesting NPG blog about Keir Hardie and Sylvia.
National Portrait Gallery Blog
A portrait of Sylvia Pankhurst in chalk by Herbert Cole, 1925; National Portrait Gallery
Sylvia Pankhurst in paintings and photographs
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Palace of Westminster
At auction on 5 March 2002 the Palace of Westminster Art Collection purchased two paintings by Sylvia from her ‘Working Women’ series painted on Sylvia’s tour of Staffordshire pottery factories in 1907.
‘On a pot bank, Staffordshire - Apprentice 'thrower' and his 'baller' at work’; Palace of Westminster
‘Old Fashioned Pottery: Transferring the pattern onto the biscuit’; Palace of Westminster
UK Parliament Heritage Collections
TATE
In 2018, Tate acquired four watercolours by Sylvia from her ‘Working Women’ series painted on Sylvia’s tour of the Midlands, Northern England and part of Scotland in 1907. The paintings were acquired from Sylvia’s grandchildren Helen and Alula Pankhurst.
They were on display in the ‘Sylvia Pankhurst: Working Women’ exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery (19.1.2018 – 29.4.2018), Museum of Wigan Life (2.8.2018 – 1.9.2018) and Scarborough Art Gallery (11.9.2018 – 6.1.2019).
BBC Sylvia Pankhurst's Paintings
TATE acquires four watercolours by artist and suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst
Tate Britain held a BP Spotlight display (6.9.2013 – 23.3.2014) featuring a variety of Sylvia’s artwork. The exhibition showcased her artistic skills deployed in the fight for women’s rights and included banners, badges, membership cards and flyers alongside her paintings and sketches from her ‘northern Britain tour’ of 1907 which recorded the lives of working women.
Documentaries
Sylvia Pankhurst: Suffragette, Socialist and Scourge of Empire (2013)
A film of a talk by Katherine Connelly, author of Sylvia Pankhurst: Suffragette, Socialist and Scourge of Empire (2013) including an introduction by Helen Pankhurst: Sylvia Pankhurst - Suffragette, Socialist and Scourge of Empire
Everything is Possible (2011)
This feature-length documentary was the result of a project by the East London-based organisation WORLDWRITE which exists to encourage young people to have a voice through documentary film-making. The film features a range of archive sources and expert interviews with academics, curators and Sylvia Pankhurst’s son, Dr Richard Pankhurst and his wife Rita:
Sylvia Pankhurst: Everything is Possible
Review: Generation Online
WORLDwrite
Sylvia Ayling (2019)
Interview of local historian and peace activist Sylvia Ayling by pupils of Woodford County High School for ‘Wonder Women’ heritage project, in partnership with Redbridge Museum
Sylvia Pankhurst: The Mark Steel Lectures (2004)
A light-hearted view of Sylvia’s life by the political comedian Mark Steel Mark Steel on Sylvia Pankhurst
BBC4 / Open University
Sylvia Pankhurst (2000)
Short overview of Sylvia’s life by local historian Sylvia Ayling for Redbridge Museum
Sylvia Pankhurst: An Honorary Ehiopian (in Amharic, 2017)
Ethiopian documentary (in Amharic): ‘Sylvia Pankhurst: An Honorary Ethiopian’ 2017 An honorary Ethiopian
Suffragette City (2010)
A History of the World, BBC4, 24.11.2010
Actress and women’s rights campaigner Sheila Hancock tells the story of the suffragettes and their battle to win votes for women, through their relatives, historians and the treasure trove of photos and memorabilia from the Museum of London. This was the first TV programme dedicated to the Suffragettes in 35 years after the BBC series ‘Shoulder to Shoulder’ in 1974: The Suffragettes
Shoulder to Shoulder (1974)
‘Shoulder to Shoulder’ was the first drama series to portray the movement aimed at winning the right to vote for women in Britain and is fondly remembered by many. It has not been screened since or has been made commercially available by the BBC.
A review by June Purvis is Professor of Women’s and Gender History at the University of Portsmouth appeared in History Today magazine, October 2014: History Today The March of the Women
An article by Janet McCabe Lecturer in Film and Television at Birkbeck, University of London and Vicky Ball is Senior Lecturer in Cinema and Television Histories, De Montfort University appeared on the London School of Economics blog, 4 June 2014:
LSE Blog
BBC TV Series
