If you’ve ever fantasized about tribute to the wit, brilliance, and enduring influence of the beloved British novelist. On view through September 14, it’s a literary pilgrimage for any self-professed Janeite (or otherwise). 6j3m18
The show brings together a trove of rarely seen manuscripts, early editions, handwritten letters, and intimate portraits, all curated to trace not just Austen’s literary mastery but the richly detailed world she inhabited. That world—despite its decorum—was anything but dull. Expect a patchwork coverlet sewn by Austen, a reconstruction of a silk dress Austen once wore, and a playful letter to her niece, with every word spelled backwards.
A standout is Austen’s only surviving complete fiction manuscript, Lady Susan, a novella that’s sharp, satirical, and still manages to pack more tension into a drawing room than most modern thrillers. Visitors can also pore over first editions of her novels—complete with their original, unassuming covers—and see her personal belongings, like a gold and turquoise ring she was known to wear.
The Morgan is home to nearly a third of Jane Austen’s surviving letters. It's the largest collection of her letters anywhere in the world, given that her sister Cassandra burned many of them after Austen’s death out of respect to her. The exhibit features notes to Cassandra that reveal the quick wit and observational edge that made Austen a literary icon.
"Jane Austen’s heroines value happiness, trust their own judgment, and love wholeheartedly. They act with conviction despite challenging circumstances and formidable opposition," the exhibition's text reads. "Her works, first published anonymously in the 1810s, have since resonated powerfully with readers across the centuries and throughout the world."
The exhibition leans into the aesthetics of Austen’s era, with display cases set against wallpaper patterns from Austen's home—including a reproduction of the iconic Chawton Leaf design found in Austen's dining room. But beyond visuals, there’s a deeper undercurrent throughout, one that honors Austen’s position not just as a novelist, but as a woman quietly upending the patriarchal order through a domestic focus that was, in itself, a revolutionary act.
