MEMORIES OF A MILITANT (First edition - - first impression - important Suffragette memoir)

The true first edition of Annie Kenney's autobiography - 'a passionate account of the militant suffrage movement by one of its "leading actors"' (from the Foreword). Illustrated with eight photographic portraits. ***Very good in the original purple cloth-covered boards, with green titles to the spine and front board, and with thick concentric green and white horizontal lines at the spine ends continuing across the front board. The purple and green signified the colours that were adopted by the Suffragist movement - 'these were the colors used by the Women’s Social and Political Union in England. They adopted these colors in 1908. Purple represented royalty and “the royal blood that flows in the veins of every suffragette, the instinct of freedom and dignity;” white represented purity; and green represented hope and “the emblem of spring.”' The cloth colours have faded over time, especially to the spine which is very faded to a beige colour. The titles are also faded but still legible. There is uneven fading, and some marks to the boards commensurate with exposure to sunlight and handling over the last 99 years. There is some creasing to the head and tail of the spine and top edge of the back board near the spine, but no significant damage to the fragile cloth covering. There is some light sporadic foxing to the page block edges. The binding is nice and square without any reading lean. Spine tight. Internally the book is also very good, with no ownership inscriptions or annotations. There is some internal foxing, mainly to the preliminary pages. No creases or tears. ***In addition, a previous owner has pasted a very interesting printed 'Explanatory Note' sheet to the blank page between the half-title and title pages (see scans). The book includes eight photographic plates, showing portraits of the author, Christabel Pankhurst, Emmeline Pankhurst, Constance Lytton, Emmeline Pethick Lawrence, Flora McKinnon Drummond, Mabel Tuke, and Jessie Kenney. ***308 pages plus a 16pp Publisher's Catalogue of 'Autumn Announcements, 1924' bound in at the back of the book. 225mm x 150mm. ***'On the 13th October, 1905, Sir Edward Grey, a prospective Liberal Cabinet Minister, spoke in the Free Trade Hall, Manchester. Christabel Pankhurst and Annie Kenney went to this meeting and asked "If you are elected to Parliament will you do your best to make Women's Suffrage a Government Measure?" This question was asked three times and also sent as a written message to the platform; it was never answered. Instead, the two girls were thrown out of the meeting and sent to prison for one week. Thus was born the Militant Movement and from that time onwards it spread like a flame through the land. (Quote taken from the pasted in Explanatory Note) ***'Ann "Annie" Kenney (13 Sep 1879 - 09 July 1953) was an English working-class suffragette and socialist feminist who became a leading figure in the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). She co-founded its first branch in London with Minnie Baldock. Kenney attracted the attention of the press and public in 1905 when she and Christabel Pankhurst were imprisoned for several days for assault and obstruction related to the questioning of Sir Edward Grey at a Liberal rally in Manchester on the issue of votes for women. The incident is credited with inaugurating a new phase in the struggle for women's suffrage in the UK with the adoption of militant tactics.' (Wiki) ***A scarce true first edition of this important Suffragist work, published in 1924, in the original cloth binding, in complete, collectable condition. Of interest to social historians and collectors of Suffragette first edition titles. A book that is rarely seen in its first edition format now. *** For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc. …