HAMILTON, Cicely.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Beware! A Warning to Suffragists. First edition of these satirical, pro-suffrage rhymes, accompanied by humorous illustrations. Hamilton (1872-1952) was a co-founder of the Women Writers' Suffrage League. In 1909, she wrote A Pageant of Great Women, which became a popular pro-suffrage spectacle staged across Britain. A skilled political satirist, she worked as a playwright, novelist, and journalist, and also wrote in favour of pacifist causes.The Artists' Suffrage League was founded in 1907. All of the illustrators of Beware! were members; Lowndes (1856-1929) additionally served as the chairman and Meeson (1869-1955) was a co-founder. The League produced work in a variety of artistic mediums and formats, including posters and Christmas cards. Lowndes was particularly well-known for her banners and Charlton (1867-1945) for her postcards and calendars.There are several unrecorded variants of Beware!, comprising 32 pages (as here), 30 pages, and 28 pages respectively. The 32-page variant has two additional leaves - one at the front printed with a four-line poem and one advertisement leaf at the rear - and is wire-stitched. In contrast, the 28-page variant lacks the poem, has the advertisements printed directly onto the inside rear wrapper, and is affixed with a split pin in the upper inner corner. We have not handled an example of the 30-page variant. There is no established priority.The 28-page variant has appeared four times at auction in the last 20 years: Bonhams (2024; 2024

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