Rare Suffragette memorabilia including a letter written on prison toilet paper is for sale and could fetch over £100,000.
The single owner collection is one of the largest and most comprehensive collections.
It includes hunger strike medals, letters, photographs, memorabilia, textiles, ceramics, postcards and books.
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They all relate to the early 20th Century movement which fought for votes for women.
As well as merchandise in the suffragette colours of purple, green and white, there are items with links to the leading personalities of the militant suffrage movement such as Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst and Mary Phillips.
A unique item in the collection is a letter written on prison-issue toilet paper by suffragette Anne Seymour Pearson from Holloway Prison in 1913 estimated at £2,000 to £3,000.
Arrested en route to confront Lloyd George at the Houses of Parliament, Pearson wrote to her husband from behind bars in pencil overwritten with ink – a common practice among imprisoned suffragettes.
The final pages, written solely in ink, suggest they were completed after her release from prison.
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Among the most poignant items in the sale is the Hunger Strike Medal awarded to Mary Phillips in 1909, estimated at £10,000 to £15,000.
It is in its original box with a rare letter of presentation signed by the Women’s Social and Political Union, WSPU, honorary secretary Mabel Tuke and a portrait photograph.
The medal honours Phillips’ extraordinary sacrifice, as reported by What’s The Jam.
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She holds the distinction of serving the longest prison sentence of any suffragette and was a key organiser for the WSPU until her dismissal by Christabel Pankhurst.
Also featured is the Silver Portcullis or Holloway Brooch, awarded to Phillips upon her release from Holloway Prison in 1909, estimated at £6,000 to £8,000.
Known as the Victoria Cross of the suffragette movement the brooch symbolised the bravery of women imprisoned for militant activism.
It is accompanied by a portrait photograph of Phillips wearing the brooch.
There is also a rare and complete tea service designed by Sylvia Pankhurst for the 1909 Prince’s Skating Rink exhibition estimated at £10,00 to £15,000.
Decorated with the WSPU badge featuring a trumpeting angel in green and purple, the service exemplifies the movement’s creative spirit.
As no commercial firm produced suffrage-themed ceramics, such pieces were commissioned directly by the movement.
There is also a rare striped tri-coloured suffragette motoring scarf, estimated at £4,000 to £6,000.
Other highlights include an extensive collection of 65 items of suffrage memorabilia held in a display case estimated at £30,000 to £50,000.
And correspondence to militant suffragette Mary Phillips from the leaders of the WSPU estimated at £15,000 to £30,000.
Expert Sarah Lindberg, said: “This collection doesn’t just document the suffragette movement it captures its emotional intensity and the personal cost of activism.
“Items like Mary Phillips’ Hunger Strike Medal and Anne Seymour Pearson’s prison letter offer a visceral connection to the women behind the cause.
“It’s a rare opportunity to engage with the material legacy of political courage.”
The online auction by Bonhams Knightsbridge runs from 10 to 20 November.
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