Two new exhibitions at the Jane Austen's House museum look at her best known work and her relationship with her sister Cassandra.
The Making of Pride and Prejudice (which runs through October 27, 2024) follows the journey of Pride and Prejudicefrom first draft to first publication and on through some of its most important and influential editions and incarnations. Among Pride and Prejudice material on show witll be a rare first edition, a first American edition, a 'Peacock edition' illustrated by Hugh Thomson, and a first paperback edition.
It also covers adaptations of the novel, from the first theatrical adaptations to the first film released in 1940, and BBC TV adaptations from 1938 to 1995. The exhibition also explores reactions to the novel, from a letter Jane Austen wrote to her sister on the novel’s first publication to the novel’s critical reception and legacy. An online version of the exhibition is available here.
The museum in Chawton, Hampshire, is also displaying a newly-acquired Austen letter following its discovery in Cambridge. The letter, dated 1798, comes to Jane Austen's House through the Acceptance in Lieu scheme, administered by the Arts Council and negotiated by Cheffins Auctioneers, to settle £140,000 in tax.
1/4
Jane Austen House
Jane Austen letter, October 27-28, 1798
2/4
Jane Austen House
Jane Austen letter, October 27-28, 1798
3/4
Jane Austen House
Jane Austen's House
4/4
Luke Shears/Jane Austen House
Jane Austen's writing table
Jane Austen wrote the letter from Steventon to her sister Cassandra who was staying with their elder brother, Edward Austen Knight, at Godmersham Park in Kent, October 27-28, 1798. It offers an insight into Austen's social circle, domestic life, and the realities of travel in the late 18th century, all written with Austen's lively, and frequently biting, wit.
The letter came to Cheffins Auctioneers from the estate of a Cambridge resident who had acquired it in 2000. It is one of only approximately 160 letters to survive and is one of the earliest in existence. The letter is part of a new exhibition, My dear Cassandra..., exploring Jane's special relationship with her sister.
