Top Withens in winter.

Top Withens in de winter.

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Bronte guardians have hit the jackpot again, outbidding rivals to buy a Bronte treasure at auction in Sotheby’s, London, yesterday. They paid £32,000 for Wuthering Heights author Emily Bronte’s artist’s box and geometry set. A fortnight ago in New York they acquired one of the rarest Charlotte Bronte miniature poetry manuscripts, paying 50,000 dollars.

The box and geometry set contains items used by Emily such as sealing wax, gummed paper and bottles.

Ann Dinsdale, Bronte Parsonage Museum collections manager, said: “We are absolutely thrilled. What a fantastic Christmas present.”

They were unable to stretch to the other items, a collection of drawings owned by Emily and a desk which belonged to Charlotte, author of Jane Eyre.

Now they were looking forward to receiving the items and displaying them at the museum in Haworth from the New Year.

Martha Brown

                                Een foto van Martha Brown, de huisbediende van the Bronte Sisters

Kerstmis en Bronte

Van woensdag 16 december tot en met zondag 20 december zal er heerlijke periode van Kerstmis displays, gekostumeerde personages, demonstraties en feestelijke Kerst ambachtelijke activiteiten per dag, 11am-4pm woensdag tot en met vrijdag 12 uur-4pm zaterdag en zondag.

Er is gratis toegang tot het museum op Oxford Road, Gomersal, voor bezoekers die willen de geuren en kleuren van Kerstmis genieten. Zij kunnen dwalen door de sfeervolle stijlkamers van deze Bronte aangesloten doek-home handelaar, die zal worden rijkelijk versierd met traditionele groenblijvende slingers van hulst, klimop, laurier en rozemarijn, verzameld vers van Red House tuinen.

Zij zullen in staat om een smaak van glühwein genieten met 'Joshua Taylor' zoals hij ze vertelt over de decoraties, met inbegrip van de ouderwetse 'opknoping kussen tak' in de Hall, compleet met appels, kaarsen en maretak, en in de keuken en eetkamer zal er displays van de periode feestelijk eten. 'Henrietta', de 19e eeuw Red House kok, zullen de bezoekers trakteren elke dag over haar drukke voorbereidingen voor Kerstmis en uitleggen hoe je een lang vergeten periode maar heerlijke recepten waaronder 'Almond Shamrocks', 'Wham-Whim', 'Egel Tipsy Cake ',' Damson Kaas 'en' Brandied Vruchten '. Bezoekers kunnen gratis bladen recept om te proberen de gerechten thuis.

Gekostumeerde personeel zal laten zien hoe maken ongebruikelijke Regency en Victoriaanse kerstversieringen, met inbegrip van amandelen en rozijnen Slingers en Gilded walnoten. Er zullen ook Kerstmis ambachtelijke activiteiten voor gezinnen te doen elke dag, zoals het maken van een Victoriaanse boom 'kladje' decoratie, een papieren lantaarn of kaars een kerst kegel marionet. Toegang tot de activiteiten en demonstraties wordt deels via een trap.

In het weekend zullen er feestelijk entertainment, te beginnen op zaterdag 19 december, met muziek van The Valley fluiten. Op zondag 20 december zal, Victoriaanse salon goochelaar Chris Black onderhoudend bezoekers met zijn mysterieuze kaarttrucs, zal de populaire Clifton tafelbel Ringers spelen en, ter afsluiting van het festival, zal het prachtige lied zingen van Gaudeamus echo rond de historische huis.

Bezoekers zullen ook in staat zijn Christmas Past 'de glinsterende' tentoonstelling die een nostalgische blik op Kerstmis gewoonten en tradities is te zien. Het omvat zeldzame Victoriaanse en Edwardiaanse kerstkaarten, nieuwheid 1950s papier decoraties, exotische Chinese lantaarns en 20th Century Kerst speelgoed. Het museum winkel zal open en is goed gevuld met ongewone Kerstcadeaus.

Reactie van het Bronte Parsonage Museum op de veiling van belangrijke Bronte voorwerpen.

It’s rare for such significant items to come onto the open market and there’s no doubt that these are items which are of such great significance to our cultural and artistic heritage that they should certainly be thought of as national treasures. It would be very sad indeed if these treasures were not repatriated or were lost to a private collection. We feel that these are things which belong here in Haworth and we’re appealing for people to get in touch if they can help us raise the funds to make sure this doesn’t happen. (Andrew McCarthy. Director, Brontë Parsonage Museum)

It’s very difficult for us to compete in a market where these items can fetch such high prices and we need the support of organizations and individuals to make sure that they are returned to Haworth where they surely belong. If anyone feels they can make a financial contribution to help us, this would be very much appreciated. (Andrew McCarthy. Director, Brontë Parsonage Museum)

De Brontë schatten

Het bureau van Charlotte's en de geometrieset en pennenbox van Emily's kunnen wel 17.000 opbrengen Wanneer ze volgende maand onder de hamer gaan bij Sotheby's in Londen.

De Brontë Schatten - die zullen worden geveild op 17 december - behoorde toe aan William Law, een verwoed verzamelaar, die regelmatig bezoek aan Bracht Haworth, waar objecten kocht van de weduwnaar van Charlotte Brontë, de Rev Arthur Bell Nicholls. Lees meer:


http: / / bronteblog.blogspot.com /

Brontë-gerelateerde items

Een zeer Belangrijke veiling (misschien wel een van de belangrijkste in de afgelopen jaren) met Brontë-gerelateerde items vindt plaats op 4 december bij Christie's. Lees:
http://bronteblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/auction-of-year.html

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë/ Syrie James

Exciting news! The Women’s National Book Association has named my novel, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë, one of the Great Group Reads of 2009. I am delighted because I truly believe that Charlotte’s story will open up lively discussions about a host of timely and provocative topics.
The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë, by Avon/HarperCollins Publishing in July 2009, is the result of many years of intense research and writing. As a devoted Brontë scholar, I was intrigued by how many of Charlotte's own life experiences found their way into her novels, and I found immense pleasure in bringing her true story to life on the page.
The novel begins with an impassioned proposal from Charlotte’s father's curate, Arthur Bell Nicholls, who has carried a silent torch for Charlotte for more than seven years. Charlotte greatly disliked Mr Nicholls when they first met, but her feelings have evolved and changed over the years. Does she love him? Does she wish to marry him?

Seeking answers, Charlotte takes up her pen to examine the truth about her life. In these pages, she exposes her deepest feelings and desires, her triumphs and shattering personal disappointments, her scandalous, secret passion for the man she can never have—the man who was the basis for all the heroes in her books, including Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre —and the intimate details of her compelling relationship with Mr Nicholls, the man she eventually comes to love with all her heart.
At the same time, we learn of Charlotte’s relationship with her family, the inspiration behind their work, and their evolution as novelists. Although Charlotte and her sisters Emily and Anne did not have a single connection to the literary world, and lived in an era when women rarely saw their work in print — and despite their difficult circumstances at home, including an alcoholic brother and a father who was going blind — all three women became published authors at the same time. I cannot think of any other family in history who have achieved such an extraordinary feat, and I wanted to celebrate that and reveal how it happened.

As part of my research I made an extended visit to the Brontë Parsonage Museum. I owe a debt of gratitude to Ann Dinsdale, the Collections Manager, for her gracious welcome to both the house and library, and to Sarah Laycock, the museum’s Library and Information Officer, for sharing many wonderful details about Charlotte’s clothing and other garments in the collection. I also was privileged to receive an unforgettable, attic-to-cellar tour of the former Roe Head School in Mirfield which Charlotte attended, which still sports the legend of a mysterious attic-dwelling ghost.

Mode

De uitvinding van machines maakte materialen minder duur. Batist, gedrenkt mousseline, geborduurde organdie ( dun doorzichtig katoen), barege (ongekeperde, doorschijnende wollen stof), een wol-en-zijde materiaal, werden veel gebruikt. Onder de zwaardere materialen hoorden kasjmier en witte merino. Een licht-roze zijde genoemd Levantijnse, gros de Naples, en pluche en fluweel werden hoofdzakelijk gebruikt voor hoeden en mutsen. Gaas, crêpe, tule en waren de favorieten voor het snoeien. Materialen en kleuren werden genoemd van gebeurtenissen, en kwamenvaak uit boeken. "Ipsiboe," Trocadero, "" brons, rook, Nijlwater, waren enkele van de vreemde namen. Nadat de eerste giraffe in de Jardin des Plantes arriveerde in 1827, werden mode en kleuren "a la Girafe."

Gedurende ongeveer twintig jaar had de klassieke stijl of “”ontkleed”” gezegevierd, waaruit een verlangen bleek om terug te keren naar de natuur. Geleidelijk voor een andere jurk twintig jaar verliet de natuur steeds verder achter, tot het echt grotesk werd." Een meer conservatieve stijl van kleden resulteerde voor een korte periode.

De rok veranderde weinig tot 1814-1822, daarna werd de rok voller en voller. De onderste rand werd iets veranderd, meer of minder uitvoerig versierd met volants, plooien, vouwen en bandjes in verschillende vormen. Het toonde de voeten en enkels. De grootste verandering kwam in het lijfje en de mouwen. Zat het lijfje eerst hoog in de taille, geleidelijk werd het verlaagd tot de normale taille. Het sloot of heel hoog in de hals en afgewerkt met een ruche, of laag en afgewerkt met een turned-down kraag. Soms werden zowel kraag en ruche gedragen, vooral op straat. Mouwen ontwikkelen zich tot zeer wijd aan de bovenkant en taps toelopend naar de hand. Zoals de mouw in breedte toenam, zo nam ook de schouder en kraag (of "Bertha") toe, het werkte de zeer lage hals af en de taille werd ingesnoerd.

Naar sjaals was nog steeds veel vraag, ook al was de extreme rage voorbij, de spencer en de pelisse met cape begon de plaats in te nemen. Deze had lange mouwen aan de pols en zat hoog in de nek, de spencer stopte op de taille, maar de pelisse reikt e tot de onderkant van de rok. Het werd in de winter gedragen en was over het algemeen afgezet met bont. Veren boa's en enorme moffen van chinchilla's en vossen bont kwam in de mode. De boa werd een kenmerk bij de jurk van 1830, meestal zwart het werd rond de hals en het lichaam gewonden en de uiteinden fladderden in de wind.

Er kwamen diverse wijzigingen in het kappen van het haar en de stijl van hoofdbekleding. Tijdens de beginjaren van de Restauratie was het haar gekruld en horizontaal gehouden rond het gezicht met een lus in de nek, versierd met kleine kunstbloemen, in bossen of kransen.

In de jaren '20 zat er een scheiding met krullen langs elke zijde van het gezicht, aan de achterkant strak en glad in de nek en gerangschikt in een grote lus of strik op de bovenkant van het hoofd met allerlei versieringen zoals veren, kunstmatige bloemen en strikken van lint. Een hoge kam van uitgesneden schildpad hield dit bouwwerk op zijn plaats.

De hoed kreeg een rand en werd met brede linten vastgebonden onder de kin en toonde alleen het gezicht versierd met struisvogelveren. De bovenkant had een klokvorm.

http://www.fashion-era.com/regency_fashion.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1795-1820_in_fashion

http://www.printsgeorge.com/Jane_Austen-fashion.htm

A remarkable cache

Tuesday, 3 November 2009
A remarkable cache
News release from the Parsonage:

A remarkable cache of new Brontë treasures have recently been donated the Brontë Parsonage Museum by a private owner living in Manitoba, Canada. The items were given to the museum by Mr Tony Hart, whose great grandfather was the nephew of Mary Anna Bell, the second wife of Arthur Bell Nicholls. Nicholls’ first marriage was to Charlotte Brontë and took place at Haworth Church in 1854, although Charlotte died the following year, possibly in the early stages of pregnancy. Mr Hart’s great grandfather emigrated from Ireland to Canada in the 1870s.

 

 

The items donated all belonged to Charlotte Brontë and include a gold brooch set with garnets, a beautifully carved ivory visiting card case and card, a fragmentary manuscript by Charlotte, dated 1829 and entitled ‘Anecdotes of the Duke of Wellington’, an ink drawing of a ‘Wellington monument’ accompanying the manuscript, and a signed engraved portrait of Charlotte. The items would have been taken to Ireland by Arthur Bell Nicholls in 1861 after Charlotte’s death and may have been given to Mr Hart’s great grandfather as keepsakes.

It’s very rare indeed for such a wonderful group of items to emerge under any circumstances, but we feel extremely fortunate and grateful to Mr Hart for donating what is certainly a very valuable collection indeed to the museum. Some of these items are quite unique within the context of the museum’s collection and so to have them return to Haworth after so many years, and all the way from Canada, is very special.

Ann Dinsdale
Collections Manager

The new items are now on display at the Brontë Parsonage Museum and can be seen along with many other treasures from the museum’s collection as part of an exhibition focusing on Charlotte Brontë.

Emily Bronte

In 1861, after the Brontës had died, the Gondal poems notebook left Haworth for Ireland with Charlotte’s widower Arthur Bell Nicholls. Following his death in 1907, the manuscript was auctioned in a sale at Sotheby’s and purchased by Mrs George Smith, widow of Charlotte’s publisher. It was then bequeathed to the British Library in London by the Smith family and for the first time since 1861, returns to the Parsonage where it was originally composed.

The iconic portrait of Emily by her brother Branwell was once part of a larger painting called ‘The Gun Group’ portrait. It was cut out by Arthur Bell Nicholls on the death of Patrick Brontë in 1861 and was later found on top of a wardrobe along with ‘The Brontë Sisters’ portrait (also by Branwell) by Arthur’s second wife Mary Ann Nicholls after his death.

Drawings

Drawings from Charlotte Brontë's tale High Life in Verdopolis, the story that she presented to Heger and that turned up mysteriously in a Brussels secondhand bookshop in the early 1890s - now in the British Library. "Portrait of a Young Woman" c. and "King of Angria, Duke of Zamorna" c. 1834.

Handschoenen en portret van Charlotte

Her white kid leather gloves with brass studs and dress with tiny waist are testament to her slight physical appearance.













A recently restored chalk drawing of Charlotte Bronte which was purchased at Sotherbys in 2004 and carefully restored to its former glory by experts.

Boekje waarin Charlotte als kind schreef.

This little book originally belonged to Arthur Bell Nicholls, the husband of Charlotte Brontë. After his death most of his Bronte collection was sold in an auction in 1907. Unfortunately for the Bronte Society at the time the little book was sold to a private American collector called Henry H. Bonnell. It resided with him until his death in 1926, finally returning home in 1927 when it was kindly donated by Henry Bonnellâs family to the Parsonage, the place where it was written.

Repairing or restoring

http://bronteblog.blogspot.com


Repairing or restoring all the damaged setts in and around Haworth’s historic Main Street would cost about £1 million.
The figure was announced by Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council chairman John Huxley, who is part of a working group set up to investigate how to carry out the work.
Cllr Huxley said a report on the issue has suggested different methods of preserving the setts, including imposing a 7.5 tonne vehicle weight restriction.
Cllr Peter Hill said there has already been one concrete, positive outcome of the increased attention on the state of Main Street.
He said in future, any contractors digging up the road would be obliged to employ a sett specialist to ensure the stones were properly replaced.
Cllr Huxley said Bradford Council was now considering what effect a figure of £1 million would have on its budget.
He said a complete restoration would take years to finish.
The parish council declined an invitation from British Telecom to “adopt” the traditional red phone booth in Sun Street, Haworth, for £1.
Councillors were informed that BT was planning to remove the phone but leave the booth in place.
Parish clerk Glyn Broomhead said he understood that in the last 12 months only 105 calls had been made from the phone box.
Cllr Barry Thorne warned the cost of maintaining the structure would be “enormous”, adding that even replacing broken window panels would be extremely expensive.
Cllr Huxley said the council should respond “thanks but no thanks” to the invitation.
Haworth is to be twinned with its namesake, in New Jersey, USA.
Cllr Peter Hill, who has recently visited Brontë Country’s American counterpart, said he would be putting together a “twinning statement of goodwill” to formalise the partnership.
He said there was scope for Haworth New Jersey’s school, along with its volunteer fire brigade and ambulance services, to link up with similar organisations here.
He emphasised the initiative would not cost the parish council any money. (Miran Rahman)