August 20, 1912, Article in The North Mail, “Feminism and Face Fins”
Apparently no story was too slight to attract Davison’s attention or to warrant a
salvo from the suffragette position. The brief story below entitled “Feminism and
Face Fins,” about the current fashion in men’s side burns and beards humorously but
gratuitously opined that men were safe from “the pushful feminist” in the matter of
facial hair.
There appears to be little doubt that we are in for an epidemic of side
whiskers. The mysterious gods who decide such matters have spoken, and there
seems to be nothing for it but to bear the affliction as best we may. It is curious,
however, to find the plea made in defence of the new ‘face-fin’ that it will help the
male person to more successfully resist the advancing forces of feminism. It is
suggested that the practice of shaving clean has tended to sap masculine
authority, if not to enervate the shaver himself, and it is further hinted that, by
again growing whiskers, he will demonstrate to the pushful feminist that there is
at least one thing in which women cannot compete. Perhaps.
To which Emily Davison responded, August 21, 1912, “Feminism and Face Fins”
Sir, — Under the heading of ‘Affairs of To-day’ there is quite a touching little
paragraph headed ‘Feminism and Face Fins,’ in which the writer wonders
despondently whether his sex will be allowed by my sex to retain the proud
monopoly of side-whiskers, the latest masculine fashion!
Will you allow one of us fierce tigresses to reassure him upon this
momentous question? Up till the present no desire has manifested itself among
the female of the species to poach on the male in his cherished preserves of the
artistic ‘topper’ and the beauteous Dundreary [long side whiskers]. The pathetic final
‘perhaps’ of the writer shows us that even in this direction the timorous male is
beginning to doubt his own superiority, having in mind the memory of various reports of
women who have to shave in order to avoid unsightly hirsute growth! Fear not,
neither be afraid, O literary Thomas! Even the tigrish suffragette is far too
thoughtful for her appearance to care to risk it by developing into a copy-cat of
masculine hideousities! Yours, etc.,
EMILY WILDING DAVISON
Longhorsley, Northumberland
August 20, 1912