The Victoria Press began operations in London in 1860, founded with the specific intention of expanding the professional horizons available to women. As an activist and publisher, Emily Faithfull utilized this establishment to advocate for economic independence, directly challenging the prevailing limitations placed upon female labor within the printing industry during the nineteenth century.
Early Life and Associations
Born on 27 May 1835 at Headley Rectory, Surrey, Emily Faithfull moved within the Langham Place Circle. This group, which included members such as Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon, Bessie Rayner Parkes, Jessie Boucherett, Emily Davies, and Helen Blackburn, focused on legal reform, educational access, and suffrage. Faithfull specifically dedicated her efforts to advancing employment opportunities for women, contributing to the formation of the Society for Promoting the Employment of Women in 1859.
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Faithfull founded the Victoria Press to provide women with roles as compositors, a trade that offered higher remuneration than many other available occupations. Between 1860 and 1864, the press published the English Woman's Journal. Her efforts faced significant resistance from the all-male London Printer's Union, which used tactics such as damaging equipment and sabotaging supplies to obstruct her female employees. In 1863, she launched the monthly Victoria Magazine, utilizing the platform to campaign for fair employment for eighteen years.
Public Engagement and Professional Setbacks
In 1864, Faithfull became involved in the divorce proceedings between Admiral Henry Codrington and his wife, Helen Jane Smith Codrington. The case involved accusations of attempted rape against Faithfull, and rumors regarding her relationship with Helen Codrington surfaced. The controversy led to her being shunned by the Langham Place Group. Subsequently, she moved to destroy most of her private papers. Despite this, she continued her career as a lecturer, traveling to the United States in 1872 and 1882 to discuss the status of women.
Later Years
Faithfull authored the novel Change upon Change in 1868 and published Three Visits To America in 1882, a work dedicated to her friend Richard Peacock. She served as the printer and publisher in ordinary to Queen Victoria. By 1888, she was awarded a civil list pension of £50. She died in Manchester in 1895 at the age of 60.
Fast facts
- Born: 27 May 1835, Headley
- Died: 31 May 1895, Manchester
- Primary Occupations: publisher, journalist, women's rights activist
- Key Organization: Victoria Press
- Notable Publication: Victoria Magazine
- US Visits: 1872 and 1882
- Civil Pension Awarded: 1888
- Archive Location: The Women's Library, London School of Economics
Questions readers ask
What was the main goal of the Victoria Press?
It was established in 1860 to provide women with professional employment in the printing trade.
How did the printers' union react to Faithfull's business?
The union opposed her work, sabotaging equipment and interfering with the women's ability to work as compositors.
