'Eyre Apparent' exhibit at UVA...

After the absurdity of the last post, it feels good to have something substantive to report on, thanks to Cheshire Cat of the JE Musical forum, and the Brontë Society, would that I could attend!:

"Below is the latest information on the Jane Eyre exhibit. Please contact Barbara Heritage (the co-curator) if you have any questions. It will greatly assist Barbara in planning events if she hears from members who plan to visit.Eyre Apparent: An Exhibition Celebrating Charlotte Brontë's Classic Novel

Brontë enthusiasts are cordially invited to a day-long celebration of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre at the University of Virginia (UVa) on Friday, 9 December. The occasion features special tours of a major exhibition opening this fall and on view in the principal room of the University, the Dome Room of Thomas Jefferson's Rotunda.

The show, which commemorates the 150th anniversary of Brontë's death, is titled "Eyre Apparent" and offers up evidence of the book's ubiquity and enduring popularity. From the 19th century to the present, the exhibit follows Jane Eyre from the bookshop to the stage to the classroom to the dollhouse, from the printed word to household word. Displaying everything from series books to Greek comics, and objects ranging from thimbles to cigarette cards, the show sheds light on how Jane Eyre became a classic text and reveals how shifting cultural contexts have affected and continue to shape its meaning.

Gallery tours led by the show's curators will be offered throughout the day. Other events scheduled for December 9th include:-Morning and afternoon screenings of television and film adaptations of Jane Eyre-Guided tours of the Rare Book School collections led by RBS Founding Director and University Professor Terry Belanger, a 2005 recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship-Adjunct exhibit of the first edition and early printings of Jane Eyre owned by UVa, on display in the University's new Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library-Afternoon refreshments and evening reception
All events are free and open to the public. In addition, those who attend the event will receive a 10% discount on purchases made at several of Charlottesville's used and rare bookshops, from 9-11 December. Charlottesville has in recent years become a flourishing center for antiquarian books, with more used and rare bookshops than any other city in Virginia.
A block of hotel rooms has been reserved for Brontë Society at two hotels within walking distance of the Uva campus and all related events taking place that day. Rooms at the Courtyard Marriott will be available at $82 per night (434-977-1700) and at the Best Western Cavalier Inn at $68 per night (434-296-8111). Please mention "Rare Book School at UVa" when you call to make your reservation.

"Eyre Apparent" is co-curated by John Buchtel (Curator of Rare Books, the Sheridan Libraries, Johns Hopkins University) and Barbara Heritage (Curator of Collections, Rare Book School). It is the latest in a continuing series of exhibitions devoted to book history sponsored by Rare Book School, an independent, non-profit and tax-exempt institute supporting the study of the history of books and printing and related subjects.

The show, which is free and open to the public, will remain up through April 2006. UVa's Rotunda is open daily from 9:15 am - 4:45 pm. For directions, complete schedule, or other useful information (including advice on parking), please contact Barbara Heritage at beh7v@virginia.edu. "