In celebration of International Women’s Day 2023 and following a project to tell the Elsie Plant story, this Women + Archives event gathers makers, researchers and creatives from a range of disciplines to examine what women mean to archives today.
Hosted on Stockport’s Hat Works Factory Floor, Women + Archives will see presentations that foreground women’s stories in the archives of Greater Manchester and hear from women working in archives to bring new perspectives to historical records.
Speakers working across the city region will share their work and examine the lasting legacy of women in archives.
The event hosted and facilitated by the Hat Works Museum and Stockport Local Heritage Library with funding from Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Developed in partnership with Manchester School of Art.
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The brief from the project team was to create a group of visuals that represent each of the speakers at the event, inspired by the simplicity of Bruno Munari design.
Typography
I wanted the typography of the brand to behave like its own identity in addition to the images, so began the project here.
Given the event theme is focused on women and archives, I researched type designed by women as my starting point.
I landed on a favourite ' Eileen' a type created by French designer Julie Soudanne, inspired by the pioneering mid century designer and architect Eileen Gray. This strong and punchy deco font was exactly what I was looking for. Pairing this with a delicate italic representing the finer details of archival work, the contrasting type weights and styles visualise the creativity women can add to work utalising archives.
Imagery
Each speaker had either suggested a favourite piece from an archive or I had researched their work and chosen a particular theme in their work to base my imagery on.
Exploring the archive world myself, I found etchings and illustrations from c1800's to represent each speaker.
The Mannequin
Dr Alison Slater and her work in the history of fashion and women
The Book
Lucy Morris and her work with the Working Class Movement Library
The Sewing Machine
Bethany Turner-Pemberton and her work in the history oft the industrial revolution and women
Top Hat
Maisy Summer and her work on the life of Elsie Platt (a suffragette from a hat making family).
The Chair
Helen Antrobus and her work on the political and social history of women (including a campaign to fund a statue in Manchester of Emmeline Pankhurst, standing on a chair)
The Badge
Jane Bowyer and her work on history of suffrage and Manchester women.
Together, they make for an eclectic and alluring group of images just like the women at the event.
As individual posters, they are open to your representation and story.
