Charlotte Brontë's life through clothes

Abstract

"Step closer to Charlotte Brontë--thinking, feeling, vividly alive--as her story is told through the most intimate of witnesses: the clothes she once wore. These were present as she penned Jane Eyre, as she walked the cobbled streets of Haworth, and as she joined Arthur Bell Nicholls at the altar in 1854. Yet, until now, their testimonies have remained unheard. Eleanor Houghton, renowned Brontë scholar, historian and illustrator, has finally given voice to the many garments and accessories that make up Charlotte Brontë's surviving wardrobe. These vital, material witnesses disclose the secrets of a life lived--one that was both ordinary and extraordinary, obscure and famous" -- Provided by publisher.

Contents

Introduction -- Recalled to life -- The receiver -- Romance and reality -- The governess dress -- The corset -- In print -- Mourning -- The Thackeray dress -- The wedding dress -- The 'going away dress' -- Afterlives.