A radical association copy bringing together the cultural critic and journalist Henry Nevinson and the American born actress, novelist and playwright Elizabeth Robins who wrote the iconic suffrage play Votes for Women.
Nevinson presented this volume - which contains his essay-review of Votes for Women - to Robins the day after they lunched together where they seem to have discussed progressive politics and agit prop theatre. Nevinson describes this book in his accompanying letter as containing ‘short things, but dealing so often with what you were speaking of [at lunch yesterday] - the Antigone, the Bacchae, and “Votes for Women” - interviews with Meredith, Hardy & Tolstoy - and also a good deal on war.’
Nevinson has inscribed the book to ‘Elizabeth Robins from H W N Sep.r 1909’ and closes his chatty accompanying letter by thanking Robins for ‘coming to lunch yesterday. So do Miss Evelyn Sharp and Trench.’ Evelyn Sharp, later the second Mrs Nevinson, founded the United Suffragists with Henry Nevinson, having edited the WSPU’s suffrage paper Votes for Women since 1912.
An extraordinary powerhouse of creativity herself, Elizabeth Powers (1862-1936) was born in Kentucky, found early success on the New York stage, moved to London in 1888 where she met Oscar Wilde and brought Hedda Gabler to the English stage, developing ‘an emerging feminist critique’ in her published writing from the 1890s. Her suffrage play Votes for Women led to a surge in similar theatrical pieces.
Nevinson’s essay on Votes for Women is a miniature tour de force, beginning: ‘If courage could do it, Miss Elizabeth Robins deserved to win the vote for women...’ A campaigning journalist Nevinson (1856-1941) comes out on the right side of history.
DESCRIPTION:
Attractive green buckram with blind ruled lines to boards and gilt lettering, a couple of small marks but a very good copy with top edge gilt. Laid in, a letter from Nevinson to Robins together with its envelope on Nevinson’s 4 Downside Crescent, Hampstead headed paper, written on both sides and signed in full. Someone, possibly Robins herself, has rewritten Nevinson’s inscription on the front pastedown, expanding his name to give it in full and writing ‘Votes for Women’ opposite. A little spotting to text but a very good copy.
