zondag 29 januari 2012

In 1793 author Jane Austen celebrated her 18th birthday at the Dolphin Hotel

The Dolphin hotel is the most historic hotel in Southampton. Originally a 13th century coaching inn, guests here have included Queen Victoria and Lord Nelson. Jane Austen attended dances here and William Makepeace Thackeray wrote part of his novel 'Pendennis' whilst staying here. 
“Our ball was rather more amusing than I expected,” Jane writes . . . . “The room was tolerably full, and there were, perhaps, thirty couple of dancers . . . . It was the same room in which we danced fifteen years ago. I thought it all over, and in spite of the shame of being so much older felt, with thankfulness, that I was quite as happy now as then . . . . you will not expect to hear that I was asked to dance, but I was – by the gentleman whom we met that Sunday with Captain D’Auvergne. We have always kept up a bowing acquaintance since, and being pleased with his black eyes, I spoke to him at the ball, which brought on me this civility; but I do not know his name, and he seems so little at home in the English language, that I believe his black eyes may be the best of him.”[1] Constance Hill, Jane Austen Southampton. – Constance Hill 
janeaustensworld/the-dolphin-hotel-in-southampton-where-jane-austen-danced/

Ring Brothers in Basingstoke

 
tea-at-janes Replica of Jane and Cassandra's  bed
 
The Austen family’s own shopping practices in the surviving accounts of Ring Brothers in Basingstoke, an emporium where the Austen family shopped regularly in the 1790s.2  Ring Brothers sold mainly furniture, but also yard goods, carpets, wallpaper, lace, tape, tacks, nails, and an abundance of small household hardware, like stove blacking, sash cords for windows, Venetian blinds, lumber, glue, paint, and the like.  The firm built furniture to order (including coffins), rented furniture if needed, and even received used furniture from regular customers to be credited to their accounts.  It sent out men to hang wallpaper and lay carpets, sempstresses to make curtains and fit out beds, and carpenters to make household repairs as well as to do on-the-spot built-in’s.

 
  In addition to his usual household purchases, Mr. Austen, in 1794, bought at Rings two special made-to-order matching beds, now lost, for Jane and Cassandra, and probably the handsome little writing desk belonging to the author and now in the possession of Joan Austen-Leigh.3  In 1792, Austen’s eldest brother James furnished his entire house from Rings, from soup bowls and nutmeg graters, to chairs, sofa, clock, carpets, beds, linens, and chamber pots.
 
See the slide show: austen/house.html

woensdag 25 januari 2012

Claire Tomalin


This is nice to watch
because you can see Claire Tomalin
I own her 

Here you can see a Jane Austen admirer.

zondag 15 januari 2012

The church where Jane Austen worshipped for the first 25 years of her life. St Nicholas’s Parish Church, Steventon.

 
St. Nicholas Church, Steventon, where Jane Austen was baptized and which she attended every Sunday for the first twenty-five years of her life, was in the charge of her family for over a century. 

 
 
Grave of James Austen, Jane Austen’s eldest brother and his second wife, Mary Austen
Inside the church are many interesting objects associated with the Austen family. In an alcove near the pulpit are relics found on the site of the rectory where Jane Austen lived.  A brass plaque to Jane was put up in 1936 by her great-grand-niece Emma Austen-Leigh and on the same wall is a card displaying a prayer written by Jane Austen. There are monuments in the chancel to James, Jane’s eldest brother, who succeeded his father as rector at Steventon, and to his two wives, Anne who died in 1795 and Mary who survived him and is buried with him in the churchyard.  Further memorials remember various Knight family members who were related to the Austens.
The Steventon rectory no longer stands (it was demolished by Jane’s brother Edward who built a new house for his son, William Knight, who later took over the parish). The site of the old rectory can be seen on the corner of the lane leading from the church where it meets the road going to the village.  On foot, it is possible to see some fencing around an old pump which would have been in the rectory backyard. The house had fields at the back where the Austens farmed and grew potatoes - still a novelty at that time.  There were also formal gardens and there was a barn.

It was in the rectory that Jane Austen wrote the first drafts of novels which were to become Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Northanger Abbey.

When the Rev Austen decided to retire, he chose to move to Bath, taking his wife and two daughters.  All the family’s furniture and effects -even the cows and Jane’s piano - were auctioned off on the premises in May, 1801.  Jane’s eldest brother James moved into the rectory with his family, taking over the parish, so Jane was still able to visit Steventon and keep up old friendships.
After James’ death, brother Henry was briefly rector of Steventon, succeeded by  his nephew William.
 
  Steventon      Austen only
 

donderdag 12 januari 2012

 
The eagle-eyed amongst you might have noticed a mannequin dressed in period costume quietly standing by the dining table in the photographs of the Dining Room decorated for Christmas.
This has been on show at the Museum as part of the celebrations for the 200th Anniversary of the first publication of Sense and Sensibility in 1811.

 
This has been on show at the Museum as part of the celebrations for the 200th Anniversary of the first publication of Sense and Sensibility in 1811.

 

donderdag 5 januari 2012

A visit to Jane Austen's home (At Home with the Georgians)



Author, Gwynneth Ashby and food and nutrition consultant, Ester Davies first met at a Society of Authors meeting and again in Australia. They both enjoy travelling, fine food and wine! Wherever they seem to go they manage to find a gourmet restaurant. During one of these meals the idea of Literary Detectives was born. They are both passionate about producing and presenting a television series on women writers based on Jane Austen, Mary Shelley and Agatha Christie. This would be developed through their letters and archival material rather than on their books. The first programme, based on Jane Austen, will be produced in three intertwined strands: the food Jane ate in the different homes she visited, the medicine and dentistry, the different vehicles used by the family and the travelling problems in Georgian England. youtube

Portrait Jane Austen


Jane Austen
by Cassandra Austen
pencil and watercolour, circa 1810
4 1/2 in. x 3 1/8 in. (114 mm x 80 mm)
Purchased with help from the Friends of the National Libraries, 1948
Primary Collection
NPG 3630
Sitter
Jane Austen (1775-1817), Novelist. Sitter associated with 5 portraits. 
Artist
Cassandra Austen (1773-1845). Artist associated with 4 portraits.
This portrait
This frank sketch by her sister and closest confidante Cassandra is the only reasonably certain portrait from life. Even so, Jane's relatives were not entirely convinced by it: 'there is a look which I recognise as hers', her niece wrote, 'though the general resemblance is not strong, yet as it represents a pleasing countenance it is so far a truth.'collections/Jane-Austen


Jane Austen
by Unknown artist
hollow-cut silhouette, circa 1810-1815
4 in. x 3 1/8 in. (102 mm x 80 mm)
Purchased, 1944
Primary Collection
NPG 3181
Sitter
Jane Austen (1775-1817), Novelist. Sitter associated with 5 portraits. 
Artist
Unknown artist. Artist associated with 6137 portraits.
This portrait
Jane Austen's third published novel (Mansfield Park), appeared in 1814, although it had been begun in 1811. This copy contained a silhouette in the back and the second volume inscribed L'aimable Jane, which may represent Jane Austen. As her biographer, R.W. Chapman, said 'Who would insert, in a copy of Mansfield Park, a portrait of any other Jane than its author?'

Pelisse


The pelisse was given to Hampshire Museums Service in 1993. The donors' great, great, great grandfather was Jane Austen's elder brother James (1765-1819), who got it from their grandmother, who had received it from Eleanor Steele (nee Glubbe, b1857). She had visited the Knight family as a young lady of eighteen, and was given the dress by Miss Marianne Knight, sister of Captain John Knight, around 1875. At the age of seventy three she eventually felt that the pelisse should return to the Austen family, and sent it to James's great granddaughter Mrs Winifred Jenkyns. Her note accompanying the parcel reads: "I missed the little coat for a long time but lately it turned up. I cannot remember if it was 'Jane's'  but it seems probable" arthistorynews/Jane_Austen

The debate regarding the supposed new portrait of Jane Austen and the quest for its authentication continues.

zondag 1 januari 2012

A review of “The Many Lovers of Jane Austen,” hosted by Amanda Vickery


A review of “The Many Lovers of Jane Austen,” hosted by Amanda Vickery

JANE AUSTEN/ WEBSITES

Jane Austen

Jane Austen

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