"They arrived in Bath. Catherine was all eager delight; her eyes were here, there, everywhere, as they approached its fine and striking environs, and afterwards drove through those streets which conducted them to the hotel. She was come to be happy, and she felt happy already. They were soon settled in comfortable lodgings in Pultney Street".
-Northanger Abbey
-Northanger Abbey
As a Jane Austen fan, a visit to the Jane Austen Centre was one of the highlights of my day trip to Bath. Jane Austen lived in Bath for five years and two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuassion, are primarily set in the city. The visit to the centre began with an introductory talk about Jane Austen's life and family. Her parents were married at St. Swithin's, Bath in 1764. The family moved to Hampshire in 1768, and Jane was born in 1775. She was the 7th of 8 children in the Austen family, and the second daughter. Our guide explained that Jane began writing short stories around 1787 and that Jane's father was very supportive of her writing. The guide compared the relationship that Jane and her father shared to the relationship of Elizabeth Bennett and her father in Pride and Predjudice.
The exhibition was put together by members of the Jane Austen Society and focuses on Jane Austen's visits to Bath and the time she spent living in the city. The exhibitions also show how the city influenced her writing. From records the society has gathered, it appears that her first visit to Bath was in 1797. She stayed with her Aunt Leigh-Perrot at No. 1 Paragon. Her next visit was a six week stay at No. 13 Queen Square. In 1801, the Austen family moved to Bath following Jane's father's retirement. They stayed at 4 Sydney Place, and then moved to Green Park Building in 1804. Jane moved to 25 Gay Street with her mother and sister after her father's death in 1805. The Austen women stayed at Gay Street for six months, moved to Trim Street for a short time, and then moved back to Hampshire in 1806.
The Jane Austen Centre is located at 40 Gay Street, just up the street from the home she shared with her family after her father's death. According to our guide at the Centre, the Georgian town homes are very similar. Seeing the Centre gave me an idea of what the Austen home must have looked like when they lived in Bath. The city is mentioned in all of Austen's novels; usually in scenes of vanity or in connection with characters considered to be dull. Our guide explained that Jane wasn't a big fan of Bath, and was happier out in the countryside. This theme is shown in her writing, as one of the exhibitions pointed out that Bath was referred to as a place that allowed a character's "worst behavior to be conducted without scrutinty". Places like the Pump Room at the Roman Baths are also referenced in Austen's writing. The exhibition also showed the influence her family had in her writing. A couple of her brothers were in the Navy, and in Austen's writing, there is a "romantic attachment" to the Navy. Men in the Navy are portrayed as gentlemenly and honorable.
The exhibition was put together by members of the Jane Austen Society and focuses on Jane Austen's visits to Bath and the time she spent living in the city. The exhibitions also show how the city influenced her writing. From records the society has gathered, it appears that her first visit to Bath was in 1797. She stayed with her Aunt Leigh-Perrot at No. 1 Paragon. Her next visit was a six week stay at No. 13 Queen Square. In 1801, the Austen family moved to Bath following Jane's father's retirement. They stayed at 4 Sydney Place, and then moved to Green Park Building in 1804. Jane moved to 25 Gay Street with her mother and sister after her father's death in 1805. The Austen women stayed at Gay Street for six months, moved to Trim Street for a short time, and then moved back to Hampshire in 1806.
The Jane Austen Centre is located at 40 Gay Street, just up the street from the home she shared with her family after her father's death. According to our guide at the Centre, the Georgian town homes are very similar. Seeing the Centre gave me an idea of what the Austen home must have looked like when they lived in Bath. The city is mentioned in all of Austen's novels; usually in scenes of vanity or in connection with characters considered to be dull. Our guide explained that Jane wasn't a big fan of Bath, and was happier out in the countryside. This theme is shown in her writing, as one of the exhibitions pointed out that Bath was referred to as a place that allowed a character's "worst behavior to be conducted without scrutinty". Places like the Pump Room at the Roman Baths are also referenced in Austen's writing. The exhibition also showed the influence her family had in her writing. A couple of her brothers were in the Navy, and in Austen's writing, there is a "romantic attachment" to the Navy. Men in the Navy are portrayed as gentlemenly and honorable.
The centre has been featuring a special exhibition with costumes from the latest film production of Persuassion by ITV. A varity of costumes are on display (top left) and there was also a short film showing the process costume designers go through when designing for period films. One of my favorite parts of the Centre was the costumes on display. The exhibition also featured a drawing that Cassandra Austen made of Jane (top right), which was also a highlight for me. Another highlight at the Centre was the"Mystery Dress" (lower left). The dress was put together with material from Jane Austen's era. The material was cut into pieces for a dress, but unsewn and was found in a bag in someone's attic a few years ago. The dress was sew together and is now on display so visitors can see what an original dress from Jane Austen's time would be like.
Jane Austen Centre: http://www.janeausten.co.uk/
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