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Wednesday, August 17, 2005

The Amsterdam Notebooks—Page 17.

It's Day 17 of this 35 day project. (The set thus far.) Yesterday's drawings were inspired by a trip to the Historical Museum. Today we go to the Cat Museum — the Katten Kabinet:

Amsterdam Notebook

Amsterdam Notebook

Amsterdam Notebook

What is the Cat and Mouse Act?
In 1913 the Women's Social & Political Union increased its campaign to destroy public and private property. The women responsible were often caught and once in prison they went on hunger-strike. Determined to avoid these women becoming martyrs, the government introduced the Prisoner's Temporary Discharge of Ill Health Act. Suffragettes were now allowed to go on hunger strike but as soon as they became ill they were released. Once the women had recovered, the police re-arrested them and returned them to prison where they completed their sentences. This successful means of dealing with hunger strikes became known as the Cat and Mouse Act.
And here's the printed poster of the time with the image I saw in ceramic:



("Mau" is the Egyptian word for "cat.")

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