Exhibition: The Women’s Library at 100
The Women’s Library at 100: celebrating a century of collections
Exhibition open until 30 September 2026
Introduction
The Women’s Library, the UK’s oldest and largest collection on the history of the women’s movement, is 100 years old.
This exhibition looks at the history of The Women’s Library and explores its rich and diverse collections from the viewpoint of researchers and their current engagement with it. Through the broad themes of international relations, women’s equality campaigning, political representation, child protection, and feminist publishing, the material highlights the important role women have played in shaping society.
Featuring over 60 items, many on display for the first time, this exhibition represents just a fraction of the extensive history preserved in The Women’s Library—stories of activism, resilience, and progress that continue to inspire today.
Lead image: Cockburn/12/2 ‘New Year 1996’ in Medica, Bosnia.
Exhibition curators
Patricia Owens, Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford.
Kelly Bosomworth, Midlands4Cities PhD candidate, University of Birmingham.
Dr Grace Heaton, Lecturer in History, University of Oxford.
Dr Lyndsey Jenkins, Associate Professor, University of Oxford.
Dr Claire Cunnington, Interpersonal violence researcher, University of Sheffield.
Caroline Derry, Professor of Feminism, Law and History, The Open University.
Nazmia Jamal, Paul Mellon Centre’s New Narratives Doctoral Scholar, University College London.
Angèle David-Guillou, Archives Assistant, LSE Library.
Gillian Murphy, Curator for Equality, Rights and Citizenship, LSE Library.
Further information
Read the exhibition blogs
- Read Nazmia Jamal's blog on Black women poets at Sheba Feminist Publishers
- Read Heather Dawson's recommended readings on exhibition themes
Read The Women's Library at 100 Zine
Download The Women's Library at 100 Zine [22mb PDF]
New digital collections from The Women's Library
Marjory Lees' Suffrage Pilgrimage diary (1913)
Marjory Lees' diary of the trip from Oldham as part of the Manchester contingent of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies Pilgrimage to London, 7 to 26 July 1913.
Read Marjory Lee's suffrage Pilgrimage diary on LSE Digital Library
Millicent Garrett Fawcett's scrapbook (1925 to 1929)
Millicent Garrett Fawcett's personal scrapbook of material related to women's suffrage. Contains ephemera, press cuttings, tributes, photos, invitations, cards, cartoons and flyers.
Read Millicent Garrett Fawcett's scrapbook on LSE Digital Library
The Townswoman (1933 to 1954)
The Townswoman, the journal of the Townswomen’s Guilds. Available as part of a project to digitise interwar feminist journals to open up research into women's activism.
Read The Townswoman on LSE Digital Library
Opportunity (1921 to 1939)
Opportunity, the journal for women civil servants. Available as part of a project to digitise interwar feminist journals to open up research into women's activism.
Read Opportunity on LSE Digital Library
Any questions?
Contact us via email or find out other ways to get in touch.
The Women's Library at 100
