ART & LIFE; POSTCARD BIOGRAPHIES FROM THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) on Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928)

From the late 1920s, the National Portrait Gallery invited leading writers to create 70-word biographies, of subjects whose portraits hang in the Gallery, for the backs of postcards. In this 12-week seriefor the backs of postcards. In this 12-week series, we present some of the s, we present some of therets

Of Lancastrian and Manx liberationist descent; married a reformer; almost perished hunger striking. The Suffrage won, worked for the Empire; became Canadian State Lecturer on Hygiene etc; died Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Whitechapel. Dignified, graceful, with lovely eyes and exquisite voice, her passionate eloquence was irresistible. Women worshipped her; men bore her terrific onslaughts without resentment; accepting service as nothing, waverers were dismissed ruthlessly and unthanked. Modest, disinterested, incorrigibly hopeful, she remains like Joan of Arc a human miracle. Ethel Smyth

The composer and former suffragette Ethel Smyth found her task a difficult one, and on 23 Feb 1940 she wrote to the National Portrait Gallery's director:

"Here's the best I can do - 80 words. It seems to me as characterless as one of my dogs' towels - & rather resembles them. Forgive me, for never in my life have I tried so hard to pull off anything. But honestly I think it is an almost impossible job unless you have a particular sort of literary knack which I haven't got.

Betty B thinks I am a little hysterical about it - I hope you will! Anyhow don't scruple to tear it up and give the job to someone else."

! Portraits, drawings and letters from the "postcard biography" archives are on display at the National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London WC2. Free.