News today of a forthcoming exhibition at The Gallery, Winchester Discovery Centre, from 13th. May to 24th. July.
The Mysterious Miss Austen marks the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's death, and will feature around 80 items including paintings, illustrations, letters, clothing and other objects. Five portraits of the author (some in private collections) will come together under one roof for the very first time, while on loan from the British Library will be the manuscript of an alternative ending to Persuasion. Also on show will be Jane's silk pelisse (pictured), her purse, and her case for sewing materials.
The exhibition is being curated by Louise West, former curator of Jane Austen’s House Museum and chair of the Jane Austen 200 working group, and Professor Kathryn Sutherland, a leading Austen scholar.
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Janeites who do not already know the Austen Only blog will find a wealth of information there.
There's a scholarly article about the pelisse here.
This post may be of some interest.
I would love to see the pelisse. They used it to work out Jane's height - quite tall. 5ft 7 in - and what used to be called vital statistics: bust 31- 33, waist 24, hips 33-34. So about a size 10?
I think one of her teenage notebooks is also in the exhibition, offhand I can't remember which one; but all three of them are currently on display at the British Library if anyone's passing that way. I always get a thrill when I see her desk and tiny spectacles.
Posted by: Mary | 30 January 2017 at 07:19 PM
My diary is slowly filling with the promise of visual delights such as this exhibition. I've already planned an outing to Winchester in April with a friend since finding out about the Angie Lewin exhibition there from you. We thought a trip to Jane Austen's house in Chawton that day too would be interesting. Now I think I will be back in Winchester in early summer. Thank you!
Posted by: Fran H-B | 01 February 2017 at 06:03 AM
I think there will be an exhibition at the Bodleian in Oxford, too. I am hoping to attend. I miss the Austen Only blog, I don't think it is updated anymore. I know these things are time-consuming, though.
Posted by: Nicola | 02 February 2017 at 12:08 AM
I'd love to see them - and go to Chawton some time.
Posted by: Cornflower | 03 February 2017 at 02:12 PM
Pleasure!
Posted by: Cornflower | 03 February 2017 at 02:12 PM
Yes, there's word on the Bodleian exhibition here: http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/whatson/whats-on/upcoming-exhibitions
Re Austen Only, I think Julie's time is taken up with her amazing cake-making - https://www.fabulouslyfloralcakes.com/ - but the blog archives are a great resource.
Posted by: Cornflower | 03 February 2017 at 02:17 PM
It took me years to get to Chawton - but it's such a woderful place to visit.
Posted by: Mary | 05 February 2017 at 06:07 PM