Lilian Lenton
(1891-1972), Militant suffragetteSitter in 2 portraits
Lenton joined the Women's Social Political Union (WSPU) after hearing Emmeline Pankhurst give a speech. She was subsequently arrested in 1912 for smashing windows during a protest. The WSPU's newspaper, Votes for Women reported 'At the windows excited crowds collected. At the centre of each crowd stood a woman, pale, calm and silent'. In 1913, imprisoned after a series of arson campaigns, she contracted pleurisy after being forcibly fed. The case caught the public's attention as Home Office papers conflicted with the Home Secretary Reginald McKenna's denial of force feeding. Lenton often escaped when she was released from prison, becoming known as the 'elusive Pimpernel'.
'Surveillance Photograph of Militant Suffragettes'
by Criminal Record Office
bromide print mounted onto identification sheet, 1914
NPG x132847
by Criminal Record Office
silver print mounted onto identification sheet, 1914
NPG x45560
Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.