Austen-Related Events for the Weekend of June 19-22

Two very different but fascinating Austen-related events will be happening in Upstate this coming weekend (June 19-22):

First, the British Women Writers Conference is holding its 22nd Annual Meeting, sponsored by Binghamton University, at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Binghamton from June 19 to 21. We were holding off on doing a blog post about this until we learned whether members of the general public, as well as members of the BWWC, would be able to attend portions of the meeting--but our BWWC contact in Binghamton, Kerstin Petersen, has now assured us: "I have now more information about visiting our British Women Writers Conference: The price for a one-day attendance is $25, which includes everything that is listed on that day's program (like refreshments)." More information about the meeting--which will include panels on women writers from the mid-18th to the mid-19th centuries, panels on topics ranging from fashion to education, and several plenary presentations (including one by Rebecca Mead, author of the recent book My Life in Middlemarch)--can be obtained at the BWWC website or Facebook page.

Second, this year's War of 1812 Bicentennial and Jane Austen Weekend will be taking place at the Genesee Country Village and Museum in Mumford (southwest of Rochester) on June 21 and 22. No "Netherfield Ball" there this year, alas--but handsome men in uniform like the two shown above are guaranteed; the Country Dancers of Rochester demonstration team (pictured below at last year's Weekend) will be performing; and much else of interest to Janeites will be happening! Go to the GCVM webpage on the Weekend for more details.

More information about the Jane Austen Day at the Rose Hill Mansion in Geneva on Saturday, July 26, first announced in our June 1 post, will be provided in a future post.

A Weekend in Vermont

Your Regional Coordinators spent the weekend of June 7-8 in Burlington, Vermont, as guests of the JASNA Vermont Region. Vermont's RC, Deb Barnum, has already put up a post on the "Jane Austen in Vermont" blog--arguably the best regional blog in JASNA--with a most complimentary description of our June 8 presentations to our sister Region. With Deb's permission, here is a link to that post. We thank her both for the link and for her personal hospitality, and we thank the Green Mountain Janeites in general and Lisa's models in particular for persevering with us, despite the heat Deb describes!

Here are two additional photos of the meeting. In the first, Lisa Brown describes the finer points of the 95th Rifles uniform being bravely modeled by Jim. (Photo by Marie.)

And in the second, Marie Sprayberry discusses her 1817 Princess Charlotte of Wales "in memoriam" cup. Note Marie's strategic position directly in front of a fan! (Photo by Lisa.)

The day before the meeting, we spent a highly enjoyable afternoon with Deb at the Shelburne Museum, south of Burlington. The Shelburne, like Upstate NY's Genesee Country Village and Museum, is a collection of relocated/preserved historic buildings and artifacts. Here are Lisa and Deb in front of the Round Barn. (Photo by Marie.)

 

The Shelburne's collection of carriages and sleighs is particularly fine. This handsome stagecoach plied the Boston-to-Buffalo route, and thus may have traveled the Cherry Valley Turnpike south of Syracuse (present-day U.S. 20). (Photo by Marie.)

 

As Deb notes in her post, we all had fun trying out the two-cell village gaol. Here are Marie (obviously having too much fun to be a convincing prisoner) and Deb (doing a better acting job). (Photo by Lisa.)

Here's a collection of hats and hatboxes that would have made the Bennet sisters "quite wild." (Photo by Marie.)

 

This spinning wheel and other accoutrements for spinning recall a letter of Jane Austen's to Cassandra concerning a proposed gift to Jane from the family's benefactress, Mrs. Knight: "I cannot endure the idea of her giving away her own wheel..." (Photo by Marie.)

  

A printer--one of the Museum's many helpful and informative volunteers--demonstrates one of the extensive collection of printing presses. (Photo by Lisa.)

Both Marie and Lisa wanted to take the entire country store and its contents home with them! A lovely window full of glass. (Photo by Marie.)

We end with Lisa's photo of a gorgeous sunset over Lake Champlain; the Adirondacks can be glimpsed in the background on the New York side. And, again, many thanks to Deb and to JASNA Vermont!

"Box Hill" in Late July, and Other Matters

As noted in an earlier message, your Regional Coordinators were previously in the early stages of planning with the JASNA Rochester “Janeiacs” for a joint July visit to Seneca Falls--but now a marvelous ready-made opportunity for a joint July “Box Hill” outing has presented itself. We propose to attend the Geneva Historical Society’s “Jane Austen Day” on Saturday, July 26, from 10 am to 4 pm, at the Rose Hill Mansion on Route 96A just south of Geneva (pictured above). Listen to this:

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While Jane Austen was writing Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and other novels in England, Geneva was developing as a village on the New York frontier. By the time of the novelist’s death in 1817, the Rose family had been in the area 15 years and had established their farm. Though Austen never visited Rose Hill, or the United States, we think she would have enjoyed Rose Hill and the view of Seneca Lake.

On Saturday, July 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., step into Jane Austen’s world and experience a little taste of early 19th-century life. Throughout the day, enter the school of soldiers with War of 1812 re-enactors, hear gallery talks about the ritual of tea or the Rose Family, try writing with a quill pen, and sample period foods in the kitchen.  Jane Austen Day will also include special programs.  At 11:30 a.m. Master Gardener John Fouracre will explore gardening in Regency England, and at 1 p.m. the Country Dancers of Rochester will give demonstrations of English Country Dancing. There will be period clothing, needlework, and tea services on display in the mansion. The public is encouraged to enter the period picnic contest (for menu suggestions visit the Rose Hill Facebook page) or to come dressed in Regency fashions.

Jane Austen Day is free for historical society members and $5 for non-members.

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Your RCs think this all sounds irresistible, and we hope you’ll agree. Further reminders, directions, suggestions about carpooling to Geneva from Syracuse and other locations, and so forth will be forthcoming closer to the date, but mark your calendars for this jaunt now!

Two other updates/reminders:

• If you’ve been checking the Montreal AGM webpage on the main JASNA website, you know that there’s been a slight delay in getting the registration process under way--but things are now looking good for a start time about the middle of this week. Keep checking that webpage for updates!
• And the special JASNA membership offer begins today: If you are not yet a member of JASNA at the North American level (our only requirement for Syracuse Region membership), you’ll be enrolled through September 1, 2015, if you join any time between now and September 1 of this year--and will get an extra copy of JASNA News into the bargain. (Remember, too, that you must be a JASNA member to attend the Montreal AGM.)