Join author and antiquarian Tony Wolf for an in-depth look at the secret society of martial arts-trained female bodyguards who defended members of the English radical women's suffrage movement.
Established during the volatile summer of 1913, at the height of increasingly militant suffragette activism and of repression by the police and government, the outlaw bodyguard team was nicknamed "Mrs. Pankhurst's Amazons." They employed disguise and deception tactics as well as hand-to-hand combat when necessary to protect their leaders against assault and arrest, such as during the infamous "Battle of Glasgow," when they brawled with a much larger contingent of police constables and detectives in front of a shocked audience of 4,500 people.
Our presentation will include a slideshow of rare archival photographs and documentary film reenactment footage as well as a question and answer session.
ZOOM!
Originally from New Zealand and now based in Chicago, Tony professes a lifelong interest in historical obscurities. His books include the popular Suffrajitsu graphic novel trilogy (2014), the true-crime anthology Houdini's "Girl Detective" - the Real-Life Ghost-Busting Adventures of Rose Mackenberg (2016) and the novel The Life and Fantastical "Crimes" of Spring Heeled Jack (2020). He has also written and co-produced/directed the independent documentaries Bartitsu: The Lost Martial Art of Sherlock Holmes (2011) and No Man Shall Protect Us: The Hidden History of the Suffragette Bodyguards (2018)
A former stuntman, martial arts instructor and professional wrestler, Tony served as the Cultural Fighting Styles Designer for the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy and has created action scenes for over 300 feature films, TV series, and theatrical productions.
Once registered, you can access the Zoom room for this experience through your confirmation email or Eventbrite account. Atlas Obscura online experiences are recommended for attendees age 13+.
This event is one of Atlas Obscura’s Online Experiences. At Atlas Obscura, our mission has always been to inspire wonder and curiosity about the incredible world we all share. Now, more than ever, there’s a need to stay connected—not only to our sense of wonder, but to each other.
We encourage you to follow and share the hashtag #AOExperiences for more incredible online experiences and our newest addition of Online Courses with Atlas Obscura and our friends. And check out AtlasObscura.com, the definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders, to keep virtually exploring the world through the website’s atlas of amazing places, unique stories, and videos.
