Behind the Scenes of Jane Austen Undressed
Our spring/summer display 'Jane Austen Undressed' delves into a Regency wardrobe to examine some of the undergarments that were essential to eighteenth century fashion. But what about the display itself? Join us for a sneak peek into how it came together...!We installed Jane Austen Undressed in the Master Bedroom, formerly the Admirals’ Room (don’t worry, the Admirals have commandeered another room where they are reunited with all their brothers!).
We began the install by carefully moving all the objects out of the room and storing them safely in acid free tissue paper.
Then the fun part! We installed a beautiful Regency petticoat and pair of stays in the cupboard case…
With the help of a technician we moved a display case, creating more space for the Brothers display next door and allowing us to show precious objects relating to sewing and dress in the new display space.
The needle case Jane gave to her niece Louisa and the handkerchief she worked for Cassandra take pride of place here!
Finally, we unpacked the costumes we had loaned from Cosprop and mounted them on mannequins… first there was Emma’s pink corset:
Then Lizzy’s petticoat:
…and finally *that* white shirt!
With the costumes safely on their mannequins, they needed just a few final tweaks…
Credit: Solent News
And we were finished!
Visitors have been loving this display! We’ve even seen one or two excited shirt selfies…
If you have photos we’d love to see them – share them with us on social at @JaneAustensHouse
If you plan to visit over the Easter weekend we recommend booking in advance…
…and if you can’t make it to Jane Austen’s House in person, don’t forget you can visit the display online from wherever you are!