Manchester Society of Women Painters

Angered by the refusal of the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts to admit women Annie Swynnerton and Susan Isabel Dacre, who shared a studio, established their own association. The Manchester Society of Women Painters held exhibitions and art classes, including life drawing, for five years, until the MAFA relented. In 1884 it finally accepted women on an equal footing to men and allowed them access to life classes including nudes of both sexes. This short-lived Society was established at the beginning of October 1879, with Isabel Dacre as President, Anna Louisa Swynnerton (nee Robinson) as Secretary and her sister, Emily Robinson as Treasurer. Exhibitions were held in the years 1880, 1882 and 1883, by which time Annie Swynnerton had moved to Rome and the Society ceased to function. Other artists who were allegedly members but about whom nothing is yet known include Jane Atkinson, Emily Beresford, (nee Robinson 1845-1936) and the Misses Butterworth, Crabtree, Edgar and Magan.

The 'Group' has and is still often misnamed as the Manchester Society of Female Painters, Manchester Society of Female Artists or Manchester Society of Women Artists in both historic and recent publications, but the correct name has always been the Manchester Society of Women Painters.