Mary Wollstonecraft, it looks like you’ll be getting your own stamp, you lucky lady! The Royal Mail of the UK is releasing a set of stamps called Eminent Britons, which will be released October 8th.
To refresh your memory, Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) was a pioneering feminist in many respects–she helped her sister Eliza escape an abusive marriage by keeping her hidden until a legal separation was arranged, established a school at Newington Green, asserted that women had strong sexual desires in her unfinished work, Wrongs of Woman, and (most importantly) wrote, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), which laid the foundation for feminism.
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, not only advocated for the equality of the sexes, it asserted that women were not inferior to men, they only appeared so because of a lack of educational opportunities. With education, women would be able to achieve a sense of self-respect and an improved self-image, which would allow them to explore thoughts and ideas relating to fields outside the home.
The collection of stamps, which features 10 Brits in all, also includes another lovely lady, Judy Fryd (1909-2000), who created MENCAP, an organization that has been pushing for a revolution in the attitudes people have towards those with learning difficulties.
nicole!
Photo courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, UK.
