Meeting At Reformer's Tree, Hyde Park, London, 1866, Book Illustration, c1895

AN ORIGINAL BOOK ILLUSTRATION (PRINT)

ON THIN YELLOWING PAPER

10 X 7.5 INCHES (APPROX)

(25.4 X 19 CM)

FROM CASSELL'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND, c1895

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The Reformers’ Tree was an oak tree which became the focus of protests in 1866 by the Reform League, a group campaigning to give all adult men the right to vote. During one protest the Reformers’ Tree was set alight and the charred stump of the tree became a notice board, a rallying point for meetings and a symbol of the right of the people to assemble. In 1872, an act of parliament allowed public speaking in the north east corner of Hyde Park. People could talk about anything as long as they didn’t use indecent or obscene language. The area became famous all over the world as Speakers’ Corner. Today a circular black and white floor mosaic commemorates The Reformers’ Tree. The mosaic was unveiled in 2000 by politician Tony Benn.