The league was formed in 1910 as an amalgamation of the Men’s League for Opposing Women’s Suffrage and the Women’s National Anti-Suffrage League (to keep the record straight, there was also the Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage).
The medal was estimated at £80- 85 at the November 16 sale but sold on thesaleroom.com to an Australian collector at £700.
On more familiar territory were two rare Edwardian Suffragette cloth clothing patches sold at East Bristol Auctions (17.5% buyer’s premium) the previous day. The 2¼in (6cm) shield badge and the rectangular patch in the Suffragette colours, both proclaiming Votes For Women, were pitched at £80-100 but sold online – also to Australia – for £1200.
Guinea Pig Club
Guinea Pig Club table lighter – £980 also at East Bristol Auctions.
The November 15 Bristol sale also included a rare cigarette table lighter given to members of The Guinea Pig Club – RAF wartime aircrew whose burns suffered in combat were treated with plastic surgery.
The French-made lighter, consigned by the collector of the suffragette badges, bore the Guinea Pig Club emblem and was engraved The Sty – Ward III – QVH – East Grinstead.
The QVH stood for Queen Victoria Hospital, where surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe carried out his pioneering work.
Estimated at £300-500, it went to a Canadian collector online via thesaleroom.com at £980.
