The importance of page turning your treasures

On Friday 4 August, the Which Jane Austen? exhibition at the Bodleian Libraries is closing to the public one half hour early. But why? What’s going to happen in that time?

When putting this exhibition together, Professor Kathryn Sutherland arranged for a few items to be borrowed from other, non-Bodleian collections: things that would help tell Austen’s story in detail, or to illustrate the breadth of ideas woven into the exhibition’s display cases.

Amongst these loan items is a manuscript of Sanditon, Austen’s final, unfinished novel, written entirely in her own hand. The manuscript comprises of three booklets, of which the third has been borrowed from King’s College Cambridge for our display.

One of Professor Sutherland’s captions as displayed alongside the manuscript.

Austen used brown gall ink to write this manuscript. This is a particularly sensitive ink, and there’s a risk of it fading when exposed to light for too long. While illumination in the Bodleian’s ST Lee gallery is carefully controlled, precautions are still taken to absolutely minimise any risk of harm to the valuable objects on display.

Having seen this manuscript in person, it can be honestly said just how moving it is to look directly upon the last words Austen crafted before her tragic, early death. There’s little surprise that this is such a popular item for display. Of course, this high demand means that the manuscript needs extra special care to avoid over-exposure or damage.

So when Which Jane Austen? closes 30 minutes early on 4 August, it’s for a page to be carefully turned in this important manuscript.

As is usual for loan items, staff from the host institution will be accompanied by a member of the lending institution - in this case, a member of King’s College, Cambridge will attend the Bodleian Libraries to oversee the page turning. The 4.30pm timing is a courtesy to our colleague from Cambridge, who will have a long journey to and from Oxford in order to make this appointment.

There is one more page turn scheduled for Sanditon in September, to ensure this popular, impressive and affecting example of Austen’s own handiwork remains intact and respectfully preserved.

Which Jane Austen? runs at the Bodleian Libraries’ Weston Library until 29 October.