Page 27 - Luce 2023

S enior C o mmon Ro om

Jane Austen Miniatures

In October 2022, student library assistant Megan Barry (2021)
created a Jane Austen exhibit in the College foyer. The exhibit
featured a 10-volume set of leather-bound (green with gold trim),
miniature Jane Austen books, each with a colour plate, published
in 1899 and gifted to Ivy Clarke (Lady Janet Clarke’s daughter) for
Christmas 1902. These miniatures were discovered in the Archives
at the College.

Megan’s creative exhibit showcased ‘the world of Austen’
during the Regency era and included some of the author’s
correspondence, a summary of her contemporary reception,
the modern appeal of Jane Austen, as well as film adaptations of
Austen’s work, interactive QR codes, and a current JCH student
survey detailing students’ favourite Austen books. On 20 October,
Megan walked students and staff through the exhibit highlights
and participants were able to handle the miniatures with archival
gloves. This was followed by tea and scones and a showing of the
2005 film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley.

In light of this exhibit, my
attention was drawn to JCH
alumna, Amanda Mortensen
(Isherwood 1989), who
co-founded the Jane Austen
Literacy Foundation.*
Perhaps you are inspired to
read or re-read Jane Austen’s
enduring novels along with JCH
students who comment that
‘there is a certain timelessness
to [her books]’ and who
appreciate Austen’s ‘wit and
satiric take on historic societal
norms’ (student quotes taken
from the exhibit).

Finally, Dean of Studies, Briana
Ellis, and I had occasion to
interview Amanda Mortensen
in person, along with two other
impressive JCH alumnae, Ann Keddie (1965) and Jane
Singleton (1964), prior to the Christmas Jazz and Cocktails
evening in December. These interviews are part of an ongoing
JCH oral history project for the College Archives.

It has been a wonderful year of ‘all things literary’ and we
look forward as a College to new opportunities in 2023!

* https://jch.unimelb.edu.au/Jane-Austen-Literacy-Foundation~2904.

J anet Clarke Hall 27