Morgan Library and Museum honor Jane Austen's 250th birthday with a breathtaking display, yet visitors have only a month to experience it.
In the heart of New York City, The Morgan Library & Museum is hosting a captivating exhibit titled "A Lively Mind: Jane Austen at 250". This exhibition marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth and the 50th anniversary of the landmark gift of her manuscripts to the Morgan.
The exhibit offers a unique journey into Austen’s authorship, personal style, and global literary legacy. It features a rich collection of manuscripts, letters, books, artworks, and artifacts from Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, England, along with items from the Morgan and various institutional and private collections.
One of the highlights is the display of iconic artifacts from Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, never before shown in the US. Visitors can also marvel at original manuscripts and letters, including Austen’s early writings from her teenage years and correspondence to her sister Cassandra.
The exhibit also showcases four surviving copies of an unauthorized edition of Emma, published during Austen’s lifetime, revealing how Americans first encountered her work. Additionally, 65 archival domestic objects highlight the lives of lesser-known characters in Austen’s novels and real working women in Georgian Hampshire, such as Mrs. Mary Martin who ran a local inn and shop, and Ann Freeman who ran a glazing business.
Items from the Alberta H. Burke collection, a significant private Austen archive gifted to the Morgan, are denoted with a special icon on labels. Audio commentaries provide access to Austen’s voice and insights from the exhibition’s guest curator.
"A Lively Mind" exhibition not only honours Austen’s literary achievements but also illuminates the social and cultural context of her life and work, emphasizing the complexities of women’s experiences in her time beyond the upper classes portrayed in her novels.
The exhibit runs from June 6 through September 14, 2025, at The Morgan Library & Museum. Colin B. Bailey, Katharine J. Rayner Director of the Morgan Library Museum, states that the exhibition combines the Morgan's extensive Austen collection, particularly her letters, with many exquisite loans.
For literature and history enthusiasts, this exhibit is a feast. It offers a rare chance to experience the many facets of Austen at once, from her family life to her authorship and legacy. The exhibition is located at one of the most beautiful libraries in New York City, making it an unmissable cultural event.
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