Jane Austen in the Garden

Run, don't walk, to the book giveaway of In the Garden with Jane Austen by Kim Wilson at Jane Austen's World!

Amanda White's painting of Jane and Cassandra Austen Tending their Steventon Garden
Image @Amanda White Contemporary Naive Art

Amanda White, left a link to a post on her blog in which she featured her latest painting: Jane and Cassandra Austen Tending their Steventon Garden. How fun is that? You may purchase this example of contemporary naive art.

Jane Austen Manuscript of The Watson's sells for $1.6 Million

Our friends across The Pond can heave a sigh of relief. Jane Austen's original manuscript of The Watsons has sold for over an astounding £990,000 although it was valued for no more than £300,000. The Bodleian Library in Oxford has purchased this rare item, the only surviving original manuscript of any of Jane Austen's novels.

The manuscript descended from Jane Austen’s sister Cassandra to her niece Caroline Mary Craven Austen (1805-1880), the younger daughter of their eldest brother James. It was in Caroline’s possession when first published in 1871 by her brother James Edward Austen-Leigh.- About the Watsons

The draft of this unfinished novel is not complete. The Morgan Library in New York City owns 12 pages of the manuscript. A few of its pages were lost by The University of London. The manuscript is remarkable in that it is a working draft, with crossings out, ink splotches, and many changes inserted into the lines and spacings.

"Richard Ovenden, Deputy Librarian, Bodleian Libraries said: ‘The Bodleian Libraries are delighted to have succeeded in their bid to save Jane Austen’s draft manuscript of the The Watsons for the nation. The manuscript is such a valuable part of our literary heritage and we are glad it will stay now in Britain. We will make the manuscript available to the general public who can come and see it as early as this autumn when The Watsons will indeed be a star item in our forthcoming exhibition Treasures of the Bodleian." - Saved for the Nation: Bodleian Acquires Jane Austen Manuscript

Much of the money to purchase The Watsons came from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF), through a £894,700 grant.Other contributors include the Friends of the National Libraries, the Friends of the Bodleian and the Jane Austen Memorial Trust.

• Saved for the Nation: Bodleian Acquires Jane Austen Manuscript
• The £1m 'lost' Austen: Sold at auction, manuscript that comes with no beginning or end
  
• Jane Austen Manuscript Sells for More than 990,000.
• Sotheby's List of Catelogue Items for Sale

Links contributed by Tony Grant, London Calling.

A visual trip to Lacock Village

Gentle Readers, Contributor Tony Grant of London Calling has just returned from several tours in which he escorted travelers to England around Jane Austen country. He has taken some wonderful images of Lacock, the picturesque village in Wiltshire that has served as a backdrop in so many costume dramas, including as Meryton in 1995s Pride and Prejudice and the recent PBS productions of Cranford. Enjoy!

All images, rights reserved, Tony Grant

Fans Celebrate Jane Austen at Locust Grove

The annual Jane Austen Festival hosted by the Greater Louisville Jane Austen Society at Locust Grove keeps growing. The festival first appeared four years ago. By the second day this year, Bonny Wise, one of its founders, estimated that attendance had surpassed the 1,082 people who came to last year's festival.

Read an account of the event in this article from the Courier Journal:

More than 1,000 celebrate English writer Jane Austen at Locust Grove.


Image @The Courier Journal

Jane Austen History Throwdown

Washing and bathing were hard to accomplish back in the day when water had to be hauled in from outdoors. Some lucky people could draw water from a well in the courtyard, like Jane Austen and her family at Chawton Cottage, others had to walk to a stream or river or to a common pump in the town square. This meant that laundry days were few and far between, for it meant two days of hard work. Personal bathing was not a daily occurrence. Individuals might wash their faces and hands daily, but frequent baths were out. Indoor plumbing was also a convenience for the future.

Jane and Cassandra's bedroom at Chawton Cottage. The chamber
pot is in the closet at left. Image @Tony Grant

Thinking about your own personal hygiene habits, which would be the hardest daily habit for you to forego? Bathing? Clean laundry? Or indoor toilets?

Boiling laundry. Seraphine, 2008

Which modern convenience would be the hardest to forego?
	Bathing
	Clean laundry
	Indoor toilets
pollcode.com free polls

Friday Fashion: Exhibition about Keats lover: Fanny Brawne

Abbie Cornish and Ben Wishawe as Fanny Brawne and John Keats in Bright Star

Those of us who have seen Bright Star cannot get past our curiosity about Fanny Brawne, a Regency seamstress and John Keats's lover (played superbly by Abbie Cornish). The film was breathtaking and illuminating.

"According to Wentworth Place, the museum ran inside Keats’ Hampstead home, Brawne subscribed to plenty of fashion magazines of the era, and didn’t just sew idly- but was practically a fashion designer in waiting. This summer Wentworth Place are opening up an exhibition based not just on her relationship with Keats, but with the clothes she was drawn to and created (through a series of created artworks made to discover.)" - Fashion for Lunch

Abbie Cornish as Fanny Brawne

Fashion Exhibition About Keats Lover:

"No one knew until long after the death of poet John Keats; when his love letters to Fanny Brawne were published in 1878, about the fiance who had been his companion during those final years. Brawne it seems was known for being elegant, witty and really into fashion- the timely Regency style of course, and anything else with a historical whim to it."

The Needle is Always At Hand will be exhibited at the John Keats House in Hampstead, London, from June 14 through August 14, 2011.

"An exhibition exploring Fanny Brawne's time at Keats House through her interest in dress. Blurring the lines between costume and art this exhibition invites visitors to find each piece for themselves, to discover more about Fanny Brawne, Regency fashions and dressmaking."

FREE with an admission ticket to the house.

Fanny Brawne

Read: A Biography of Fanny Brawne and Discussion of her Romance With John Keats.

Downton Abbey in Vogue

Can we wait for the second season of Downton Abbey? Guess we have no choice. Meanwhile, enjoy this fashion photo of the Crawley sisters in the most recent issue of Vogue.

Jessica Brown-Findlay, Laura Carmichael, and Michelle Dockery in Kew Gardens,
the July, oops, August 2011 Issue of Vogue

• Couture for Vogue, The Daily Mail

R.I.P. Anna Massey, an Unforgettable Mrs. Norris

Anna Massey as Mrs. Norris in
1983s Mansfield Park

Gentle Readers, sad news. Anna Massey, who gave us an unforgettable portrayal of Mrs. Norris in 1983s Mansfield Park, died of cancer a few days ago. Anna was a talented British actor whose roles were memorable no matter which film she acted in. R.I.P. talented lady.

More About Anna Massey:

• How Helen Jerome's Pride and Prejudice: A Sentimental Comedy in Three Acts Ties in with Anna Massey, Mrs. Norris of Mansfield Park: Jane Austen's World
• A Seductive Slice of the Life of a Reluctant Lady: Camden New Journal
• Anna Massey, 1937-2011: RTE Ten, Entertainment Network

Anna Massey, 1937-2011

Another view of Anna as Mrs Norris

Jane Austen Invites...Coming August 26, 27, and 28th

Jane Austen Invites………

Susan Leather and Lesley Sherwood

Friday August 26th and Saturday August 27th, 7:00 pm Robert Louis Stevenson Room, Over-Seas House,
100 Princes St, Edinburgh.

And


4:00pm on Sunday August 28th, Blebo Craigs Village Hall, Blebo Craigs, Fife.Tickets: £5:00

Jane Austen Invites ....

• an original script based on an idea of director & foodie Sue Humphreys
• inspired by a cookbook compiled by Martha Lloyd who lived with the Austen family for many years before marrying one of Jane’s brothers.
• improvised and written by Susan Leather (Jane Austen) & Lesley Sherwood (Martha Lloyd) in collaboration with Sue H.
• although centred around a fictional event, the play includes much that is factual about Jane, her family & friends, the food & the times in which they lived.
• in this gently humourous & charming play, the two actors draw the audience into Jane’s world.

Director Sue Humphreys, founder of ‘Theatre Someone’, has been involved in theatre for over 20 years in Switzerland, Hong Kong, England and now France, directing shows as diverse as Shakespeare’s Hamlet to the musical, Wizard of Oz. While in Hong Kong, she founded & ran her first theatre company, ‘Spare Parts Unlimited’.

Theatre Someone
‘Theatre Someone’, is an accredited Association based in a small town in France near to Switzerland’s Geneva. It grew out of conversations between like-minded theatre enthusiasts who were interested in using their various talents to present small, innovative productions simply staged in interesting venues.

Staged in-the-round, it was ‘toured’ to various intimate venues in Geneva and neighbouring France. The very positive response from the audiences encouraged us to continue.

Since then we have created & performed Jane Austen invites…., staged Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett and organised a concert by the Kaluga Choir from Russia in conjunction with the Commune de Divonne.

Susan Leather and Lesley Sherwood in Jane Austen Invites

Actor & Author Susan Leather began her involvement in drama at university. Since moving to the Geneva region, she has been active with the local Anglophone group, enjoying parts by Arthur Miller, Tom Stoppard and Timberlake Wertenbaker. Recently retired from the United Nations’ International Labour Organization, she now writes plays as well as performing.

Actor & Author Lesley Sherwood started acting on her arrival in Switzerland (from Scotland), some 20 years ago. Since then she has appeared in many wonderful plays, from Antigone to The Way of the World, via Hay Fever. She works for one of the agencies of the United Nations where she appreciates the multicultural environment with colleagues from more than 90 countries. ‘Theatre Someone’, is an accredited Association based in a small town in France neat to Switzerland’s Geneva. It was formed by like-minded enthusiasts in 2009 after the success of a production of Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me by Frank McGuiness. Staged in-the-round, it was ‘toured’ to various intimate venues in Geneva and neighbouring France. The very positive response from the audiences encouraged us to continue. Since then we have not only created Jane Austen invites….,but also staged Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett.

Susan Leather and Lesley Sherwood reenact the two good friends visiting

Biographies:

Sue Humphreys

• Founder of Theatre Someone.
• Instigator, collaborator and director of Jane Austen invites....

Sue has been involved in theatre for over 20years, both on & off stage, in Switzerland, Hong Kong, England and now France, including several European festivals. Over the years, she has directed many shows ranging from Shakespeare’s Hamlet to the musical,Wizard of Oz; gained a certificate in Arts Management and founded her first theatre company, Spare Parts Unlimited, in Hong Kong.

Susan Leather
Susan has been involved in amateur drama since university, where she acted and directed in English and in French. She used drama in her later language teaching, and when she moved to the Geneva region joined the well-established Anglophone amateur theatre group based there. She has been active in its programme of staged play-readings as well as enjoying parts in productions of work by Arthur Miller, Tom Stoppard and Timberlake Wertenbaker. Susan has recently retired from the United Nations’ International Labour Organization.

Lesley Sherwood
Lesley started acting on her arrival in Switzerland (from Scotland), some 20 years ago. Since then she has had the good fortune to appear in many wonderful plays, from Amadeus and Antigone to The Way of the World, via Broken Glass and Hay Fever. She works for one of the agencies of the United Nations, where she appreciates the multicultural environment and the contact with colleagues from more than 90 countries.

Website: www.theatresomeone.com
RSVP : Sue Humphreys Email: theatresomeone@hotmail.com
Tel: +33 450 201 232 or UK mobile:+44 706 26 8939

Our web site: www.theatresomeone.com
Contact us at theatresomeone@hotmail.com or at
Theatre Someone
12 rue du Mont Blanc
Divonne les Bains
01220 France
Tel : +33 450 201 232

Jane Austen Character Throwdown

Which JA female character will drive you out of the room first from boredom?

Lady Middleton, Sense and Sensibility

The only subjects that animate the cold and reserved Lady Middleton are her children.

Mrs. Bates, Emma

Mrs. Bates, right, is almost past everything except tea and quadrille.

Lady Bertram, Mansfield Park

"I feel quite stupid. It must be sitting up so late last night. Fanny, you must do something to keep me awake. I cannot work. Fetch the cards, — I feel so very stupid." - Lady Bertram

Which Jane Austen character will bore you most?
	Lady Middleton
	Mrs. Bates
	Lady Bertram
pollcode.com free polls

Friday Folly: What Would Jane Austen Advise?

A kerfuffle twixt a future mother-in-law and bride-to-be has readers taking sides. It seems that 60-year-old Carolyn Bourne found fault - well, quite a few faults - with her house guest (and future daughter-in-law). She decided to take up matters via email and share a few thoughts with her.

Bridezilla? or Cruella?

Heidi Withers, the bride-to-be in question, responded by sharing the email with her friends. Who shared the email with their friends. Who in turn shared, and shared, and shared, and shared until the email became viral.

To understand the situation more fully, keep in mind that Heidi is a diabetic. Here, then, is the email, such as I could find it in The Daily Mail. (I understand that it is not complete.) After reading it, curious minds want to know: Who was right and who was wrong? Or does an answer lie somewhere in-between?

What course of conduct would Jane Austen have advised? Let's just say that I believe in the adage: Let sleeping dogs lie, but if you must stir them, do so gently and do not leave a scent that can be followed.

Image @The Daily Mail

• The Father of the Bride Weighs In: Daily Mail

• Mother-in-law from hell sends harsh lesson in manners to 'uncouth' bride-to-be in email which becomes worldwide sensation:The Daily Mail

• The Mrs. Bourne Ultimatum: The Sun

• Mother-in-law's advice to son's 'uncouth' future bride goes viral: The Telegraph

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Conspiracy Theory Continues: Now You See Her, Now You Don't

Image @Screenhead

Ah, the language of publicists. It is so precise, is it not? Designed to make you think that something which has not happened might. Let's take the case of the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the movie, which has been in the making for over 1 1/2 years, an eon in the film-making business, which swoops down on the most salable, drool worthy topic of the moment and churns out flicks to take maximum advantage of the latest craze. One might venture to say that given the nano-second of time that fads enjoy, P&P&Z has entered the Stonehenge Age. Even if the film gets made and distributed, who cares? Zombies will have had their day.

Here's the latest scoop about the non-saga of this film: Emma Stone Won't Be Starring in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I love these sentences: "It's important to note at this juncture that the story didn't say that she was confirmed to star, and it didn't say that she was negotiating a deal. Do you see where this is going yet?"

You betcha!

Note the headline: The title of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is in it. That's all that counts. Somehow the the book has managed to remain in the spotlight, wringing every morsel of publicity that it can, for two whole years. Brilliant.

Which actress will be trotted up next for the role? Curious minds want to know.

• Judgment about the film from Screenhead
• More about my Pride and Prejudice and Zombie Conspiracy Theory
• My Pride and Prejudice and Zombie Conspiracy Theory Continues

What Do You Love? Jane Austen, Of Course!

Google asks: What do you love?

Sly creature... What could I love? All things, Jane. Jane Austen, of course!

Click here for the answer.

Posted by Raquel Sallaberry, Jane Austen em Portugues

About What Do You Love, a new feature by Google. PCWorld provides the best explanation: What Do You Love is a mash up of Google's services, including Maps, SketchUp, Patent Search, Photos, Books, Translation, and more. Some services, like Gmail and Google Voice, don't change much depending on your search term...It's well-designed and an efficient discovery engine that turns simple search terms into opportunities to experiment with Google's expansive portfolio of products -- some of which you may have never seen before such as Google Moderator.

Jane Austen Trail: Discover Jane Austen Country This Summer

For those visiting England this summer, this Jane Austen Trail map from the Winchester city council might come in handy. Jane Austen trail at the Curtis Museum provides information by the Hampshire County Council.

For those wanting a personal guide, look no further than the following resources:

• Tony Grant, London Calling: A personal guide, Tony also writes for Jane Austen Today and Jane Austen's World: Tony offers small tours customized to his clients' wishes in any location in England. He provides the following email on his blog - generalg (dot) tony (at) gmail (dot) com. You can request his services at Tours by Locals.

Pump Room window. Image @Tony Grant

• Jane Austen Walking Tours, Bath: Tours start at 11:00 AM and last for 1 1/2 hours.

• Free MP3 Walking Tours of Bath: This self guided tour offers a tour rout map and podcasts chapter by chapter

Detail, tour route map of Bath

• Jane Austen Trail Map: Of Alton and Chawton: Free maps from Alton Chamber Enterprises.

• Map: Winchester Austen Trail. Press CTRL and + simultaneously to enlarge this informative document by the Winchester City Council.

Detail of Jane Austen Trail Map, Alton

• Jane Austen Tours:The service is run by Julian Spencer Rouse, your driver-guide.

• Finding Jane Austen in England: Slow Travel Tours

• A three day Jane Austen tour from Tours International

• Walking Tour of Basingstoke and Deane

• The Wayfarers Walking Vacation: Jane Austen Country

• Literary Lyme Walking Tours

Pride and Prejudice Clothespins

Set of six Pride and Prejudice clothespins from Brookish on Etsy

I love Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice so much, that I thought of a new way to spread the goodness of the classic novel to all you fans out there.

Here we have six standard clothespins covered with text on both sides, and sealed for a little extra durability. The little snips of sentences are enough to let you know what scene you're reading, which results in putting a smile on your face.

Not only are they pretty in themselves, but they serve a purpose:

• hold bills, receipts and papers together
• hang cards and postcards on a piece of ribbon or twine
• attach a note to a pretty package or flower arrangement
• creative money clip
• placecard holder at your next tea party (hey, hostess gift?)
• stylish chip clip (as pictured)

...the sky's the limit!

Comes in a handmade, stamped muslin bag, ready for gift-giving.

(not recommended for hanging out wet laundry, but it's a nice thought)

PLEASE NOTE: the text depicted in photo does not match the text you will receive. (Text from Brookish on Etsy)

Jane Austen Fashion Throwdown:

In May, 1801, Jane wrote to Cassandra from Bath:

"In the evening, I hope you honoured my toilette and ball with a thought; I dressed myself as well as I could, and had all my finery much admired at home. By nine o'clock my uncle, aunt, and I entered the rooms, and linked Miss Winstone on to us. Before tea it was rather a dull affair; but then the before tea did not last long, for there was only one dance, danced by four couple. Think of four couple, surrounded by about an hundred people, dancing in the Upper Rooms at Bath. 

After tea we cheered up; the breaking up of private parties sent some scores more to the ball, and though it was shockingly and inhumanly thin for this place, there were people enough, I suppose, to have made five or six very pretty Basingstoke assemblies." 

What finery would Jane have chosen to wear? In 1801, Regency ball dresses were heavily influenced by Neoclassical motifs and the costumes seen in the paintings and on statues of the ancient world. Evening dresses would have a full gathering at the waist in the back and a short train. Jane probably could no afford to have had her seamstress make a new ball dress every time she went to an assembly, and her fashion might have been a little "safe" and embellished with new ribbons, head wear, shoes, gloves, shawl, fan and/or reticule.

A. 1801 ball gown. Image from
Fashion-era

B. & C. Ladies Monthly Evening wear. 

D. & E. Evening dresses

Evening dress for Jane Austen in 1801
	A
	B
	C
	D
	E
pollcode.com free polls