New York Metropolitan Region
Family Day at New York’s Morgan Library & Museum
December 6, 2009
Jane Austen joined Charles Dickens to celebrate the Winter Family Day on December 6, 2009 at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. JASNA NY Metro region members assisted in the celebration.
Beverly Francis led both children and adults in the dances that delighted Austen and her friends. One parent reported she was amazed that her child was participating and dancing after only a couple of minutes of instruction. There were many smiles all around.
Marianna Loosemore, wearing a straw bonnet, read to the children from the Juvenilia Press version of Austen’s The Beautifull Cassandra. The book, on sale at the museum shop, has been doing a brisk business.
Finally, Regional Coordinators Nili Olay and Jerry Vetowich, in Regency costumes, brought to life the fashion and etiquette of late 18th century England. The children were fascinated to see illustrations of feathered hats and modes of transportation and to try to read crosshatched letters. Jerry entertained the children by getting them to read the “backwards” letter that Austen wrote to her niece.
Other events included a dramatization of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” silhouette snipping, and bonnet making. The museum enjoyed very heavy traffic that day — Austen is a big draw.
—Nili Olay
Marianna Loosemore with The Beautifull Cassandra