Naomi Paxton - Researcher and Performer
  • Home
  • News
  • Public Engagement
    • Overview
    • Talks, Workshops and Walks
    • Different Stages project
  • Radio
  • Research
  • Writing
    • Suffrage Play Collections
    • Stage Rights! The Actresses' Franchise League, Activism and Politics 1908-1958
    • Blog
  • Comedy
    • Ada Campe's upcoming gigs
  • About me
    • Photos and Videos >
      • Headshots
      • Other Photos
      • Videos
      • Spotlight CV
  • Contact
  • Home
  • News
  • Public Engagement
    • Overview
    • Talks, Workshops and Walks
    • Different Stages project
  • Radio
  • Research
  • Writing
    • Suffrage Play Collections
    • Stage Rights! The Actresses' Franchise League, Activism and Politics 1908-1958
    • Blog
  • Comedy
    • Ada Campe's upcoming gigs
  • About me
    • Photos and Videos >
      • Headshots
      • Other Photos
      • Videos
      • Spotlight CV
  • Contact
  Naomi Paxton - Researcher and Performer

Trays for Women - can they handle it?

27/1/2014

0 Comments

 
Last week the press reported negative comments made by the leader of UKIP about working women who take time off to have families - challenged about his views on working mothers he said "I can't change biology"

This old-fashioned (to be kind) and backward (to be honest) view reminded me of some equally ridiculous and sexist discrimination towards working women - in this case actresses - almost exactly a century ago...


On 29th January 1914 the Actresses' Franchise League held a Tea Dance at the Empress Rooms in Kensington.

It was a fundraiser for the League and as well as 
Tea and the Tango, there were all sorts of other entertainments, including palmistry. 
Well-known actresses became waitresses for the occasion to serve the tables and thereby hangs a tale...
For [according to the Daily News] when the manager of the hall heard that women were to carry tea trays he declared it 
to be impossible.
 "Only a man waiter, he vowed, is capable of this feat." 

The WSPU's newpaper Votes for Women was surprised: "Women? Going to the polling booth is an amateur feat in comparison! What will be the outcome of this little difference of opinion over "Trays for Women" we shall only know when we visit the Empress Rooms..."



On 23rd January 1914 Votes for Women reproduced two sketches, made by a member of the AFL after her interview with the manager of the Empress Rooms, "which are imaginary pictures of what that gentlemen evidently had in his mind when he thought of the expert waiter handing over his perfectly balanced tea tray to the lady who is - off the stage - only a very charming amateur."

Picture
Picture


As ever, views like the one expressed were ripe for mockery. 
A week later, the paper reported that like "true Suffragists, the actresses' were undismayed by the dismal tales of refractory trays and falling crockery, and their clever member... has now sketched what one is used to with a waiter in attendance, and what may be expected from the actresses."

Picture
"Wake me when he comes"
Picture


Of course the Tea Dance was a tremendous success -
 the AFL report gave the numbers attending as over 200... and didn't give any indication that there had been any mishaps involving women and trays. 

A relief - and surprise - for the manager of the Empress Rooms, I'm sure.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Naomi

    Thoughts, reflections, bits of research

    Archives

    June 2025
    March 2025
    January 2025
    November 2024
    September 2024
    May 2024
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    April 2022
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2019
    November 2018
    June 2018
    February 2018
    July 2017
    September 2016
    May 2016
    October 2015
    July 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    #100theatrewomen
    Academic
    Actresses' Franchise League
    Ada Campe
    Cabaret
    Comedy
    Diversity
    Feminism
    Fortune Telling
    Games
    Guest Blog
    Libraries And Archives
    Living Literature
    London
    Magic
    Music
    National Theatre
    Newspapers
    New York
    Play Reading
    Prison
    Public Engagement
    Radio 3
    Research
    Scary Little GIrls
    Stage Rights
    Suffrage Play Readings On Zoom
    Suffrage Plays
    "Suffragette" Film
    Suffragettes
    Theatre
    Variety
    Verve Festival Insight Discussions Guest Blogs
    Vote 100
    War
    Women

Thanks for visiting