12th May, 2026 11:00
Photographs, Optical Toys & Science
Early Aviation Photographs
3 early 20th century glass plate negatives including;
2 halfplate negatives of early planes with one shown outside hangars marked Breguet Airplanes Ltd,
a quarter-plate negative of the Australian suffragette Muriel Matters "Votes for Women" airship (dirigible) showing the airship surrounded by a crowd on the ground before take off
Muriel Matters and the “Votes for Women” Airship, 1909
On 16 February 1909, the skies above London became the stage for one of the most imaginative protests of the British suffrage movement. Muriel Matters, an Australian-born actress and activist, took to the air in an 80-foot dirigible emblazoned with the words Votes for Women. Her daring flight, organised by the Women’s Freedom League, coincided with the State Opening of Parliament, when political attention was fixed firmly on Westminster.
Matters’ mission was both symbolic and strategic. The airship was intended to drift over Parliament and Buckingham Palace, scattering thousands of suffrage pamphlets upon King Edward VII and the assembled political establishment below. The act was designed to dramatise the demand for women’s voting rights and to demonstrate that the suffrage cause could not be ignored. At a time when women were excluded from formal political participation, such theatrical and highly visible protests formed a crucial part of the movement’s campaigning tactics.
However, the venture did not unfold as planned. Strong and unpredictable winds carried the fragile airship off course, preventing Matters from reaching her intended targets. Despite this, the spectacle captured public imagination and generated widespread press coverage, ensuring that the message of women’s suffrage reached a broad audience.
Muriel Matters’ aerial protest remains one of the most striking episodes in the history of the British suffrage movement. It reflected both the creativity and determination of campaigners who sought new and dramatic methods to challenge political exclusion, helping to keep the question of women’s voting rights firmly in the national consciousness in the years before partial suffrage was finally achieved in 1918.
Note: our images include the inverted version which is not included in this sale, only the glass plate negatives
Sold for £300
Result including buyers premium
3 early 20th century glass plate negatives including;
2 halfplate negatives of early planes with one shown outside hangars marked Breguet Airplanes Ltd,
a quarter-plate negative of the Australian suffragette Muriel Matters "Votes for Women" airship (dirigible) showing the airship surrounded by a crowd on the ground before take off
Muriel Matters and the “Votes for Women” Airship, 1909
On 16 February 1909, the skies above London became the stage for one of the most imaginative protests of the British suffrage movement. Muriel Matters, an Australian-born actress and activist, took to the air in an 80-foot dirigible emblazoned with the words Votes for Women. Her daring flight, organised by the Women’s Freedom League, coincided with the State Opening of Parliament, when political attention was fixed firmly on Westminster.
Matters’ mission was both symbolic and strategic. The airship was intended to drift over Parliament and Buckingham Palace, scattering thousands of suffrage pamphlets upon King Edward VII and the assembled political establishment below. The act was designed to dramatise the demand for women’s voting rights and to demonstrate that the suffrage cause could not be ignored. At a time when women were excluded from formal political participation, such theatrical and highly visible protests formed a crucial part of the movement’s campaigning tactics.
However, the venture did not unfold as planned. Strong and unpredictable winds carried the fragile airship off course, preventing Matters from reaching her intended targets. Despite this, the spectacle captured public imagination and generated widespread press coverage, ensuring that the message of women’s suffrage reached a broad audience.
Muriel Matters’ aerial protest remains one of the most striking episodes in the history of the British suffrage movement. It reflected both the creativity and determination of campaigners who sought new and dramatic methods to challenge political exclusion, helping to keep the question of women’s voting rights firmly in the national consciousness in the years before partial suffrage was finally achieved in 1918.
Note: our images include the inverted version which is not included in this sale, only the glass plate negatives
Auction: Photographs, Optical Toys & Science, 12th May, 2026
Now accepting final consignments for this auction. Reach out today to discuss including your items.
Viewing
By Appointment Only
Please contact our office by telephone or email to arrange a viewing.
