George Odger (1820-1877) is at the centre of this photograph, taken during the parliamentary by-election campaign in Bristol in 1870. Also in the photograph are (l-r) H. Chenery, William Stafford and J. Andrews, Odgers' supporters from Southwark, where at an election earlier in the year he had almost defeated the Tory candidate and beaten the Liberal candidate into third place. Odger was the first candidate from the Labour Representation League, established in 1869 to promote more working class MPs. Their ambition was not achieved until 1874, when two working men, Thomas Burt and Alexander Macdonald were elected. In this picture, Odger (at this time secretary of the London Trades Council) is seen wearing the silk hat made for him by the Hatters' Trade Union. The hat is still in good condition and is part of the TUC deposit in the People's History Museum.

Title	George Odger (1820-1877)
Maker	--
Production Date	1870
Format	Photograph
Copyright	--
Holding Institution	TUC Library Collections, London Metropolitan University
Related Objects	--