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Jane Austen: Fashion & Sensibility
June 11–September 4, 2022 | Fifth Third Gallery & Historic House
Jane Austen’s novels have been cherished by millions of readers for two hundred years. Her classic stories have reached many others as adaptations for the screen. Jane Austen: Fashion & Sensibility features approximately forty costumes and accessories worn in popular film and television productions. Drawn from the collection of award-winning British costume house Cosprop Ltd., these meticulously tailored ensembles will transport you to the Regency era through ball gowns, wedding dresses, day dresses, hats, jackets, waistcoats, riding habits, and other middle- and upper-class clothing.
Fashion & Sensibility provides an unforgettable opportunity to see, up close, costumes worn by Hollywood celebrities including Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Judi Dench, Colin Firth, and Hugh Grant. The exhibition brings to life beloved characters from Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Mansfield Park, while revealing powerful themes of class, gender, and social dynamics in Austen’s world.
Presented by Exhibits Development Group, USA, in cooperation with Cosprop Ltd., London, England
GET TICKETS
General admission includes access to Jane Austen: Fashion & Sensibility, Jane Austen in London: A Wall-Sized Map, and the museum’s permanent collection galleries located in the Taft historic house.
Save on admission when you buy online! Admission is free for Taft members; $8 for guests of members; $18 non-members; $16 seniors; Pricing available for groups of 10 or more. Get in touch to learn more. Due to the popularity of this exhibition, reservations in advance are highly encouraged.
Experience the Exhibition
Enjoy special tours, behind-the-scenes insights, and more during this unique exhibition!
John Rocque, surveyor (France, active 1734–62) and John Pine, engraver (England, 1690–1756), A Plan of the Cities of London and Westminster, and Borough of Southwark; with the Contiguous Buildings, 1737–46, engraving on 24 sheets of rag paper, mounted on cotton muslin. Lent by the Estate of Sallie Robinson Wadsworth
Jane Austen in London: A Wall-Sized Map
June 11–September 4, 2022 | Sinton Gallery
Measuring seven by thirteen feet, this map was made in the mid-1700s, about fifty years before Jane Austen began writing her celebrated novels. While Austen’s stories take place mostly in the English countryside, this exhibition will illustrate London locations from both her fiction and her life. Journey past the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and St. Paul’s Cathedral—as well as through cow pastures, timber yards, and waterworks—as you trace your way through the metropolis and its environs. This massive work on paper represents a monumental achievement in cartography, or mapmaking. It also offers a rare opportunity to experience the history of one of the world’s great cities and its connections to one of the world’s great authors. Map lent to the Taft Museum of Art by the Estate of Sallie Robinson Wadsworth.
LEARN MORE
Silk Evening Dress and Turban, Pride and Prejudice, 1995, Simon Langton, director. Worn by Lucy Robinson as Mrs. Hurst. Dinah Collin, costume designer
Tour with Miss Austen | Jane Austen: Fashion & Sensibility
On-Site Program
Select Saturdays | July 30 Tour SOLD OUT
1:30–2:15 p.m.
Join University of Cincinnati professor emerita Barbara Wenner, an Austen expert and author of numerous publications about Jane Austen and her time, for a tour of the special exhibition Jane Austen: Fashion & Sensibility. Placed in the rich historical, social, and cultural context of Regency England, the costumes will yield fresh understanding of Austen’s world.
Wedding Military Outfit (detail), Sense and Sensibility, 1995, Ang Lee, director. Worn by Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon. Jenny Beavan and John Bright, costume designers
Public Tours | Jane Austen: Fashion & Sensibility
On-Site Program
Select Sundays
1:30–2:15 p.m.
Afternoon Tea
On-Site Program | Under the Garden Tent
Select Thursdays
12:15 p.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Enhance your special exhibition experience with an intimate afternoon tea among the Taft’s historic garden. Sip tea selections and savor light bites, inspired by the Regency era. Following your tea, enjoy included admission to the special exhibition Jane Austen: Fashion & Sensibility and the Taft historic house galleries.
$45 Taft members; $65 non-members; $25 for children aged 12 and under No walk-ins.
Wedding Military Outfit (detail), Sense and Sensibility, 1995, Ang Lee, director. Worn by Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon. Jenny Beavan and John Bright, costume designers
Talk | Storytelling Through Costume Design
On-Site Program
Saturday, June 11
1–2:30 p.m.
Get an insider’s look at the process of creating theater costumes from the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Resident Costume Designer, Rainy Edwards, and Artistic Director, Sara Clark. In this talk, you will learn how the beautiful costumes for the company’s production of Pride and Prejudice were conceived and created. After the talk, continue the conversation and enjoy a guided tour of the special exhibition Jane Austen: Fashion & Sensibility, included with program registration
Questions? Contact education@taftmuseum.org.
Concert | The Music of Jane Austen
Sunday, June 19
3–4 p.m.
Celebrate Jane Austen’s beloved novel, Pride and Prejudice, with popular music from its cinematic and mini-series adaptations with Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra’s principal second violinist Manami White.
These are free events. Due to the popularity of these concerts, reservations are required in advance. Museum admission sold separately.
Questions? Contact education@taftmuseum.org.
Dress and Turban, Sense and Sensibility, 1995, Ang Lee, director. Worn by Harriet Walker as Fanny Dashwood. Jenny Beavan and John Bright, costume designers
Lunch & Learn | Fashion, Sensibility, and the British Empire in Jane Austen's World
On-Site Program
Friday, June 24
12–1 p.m.
This June, meet Maura O' Connor, Associate Professor and Department Head of History at the University of Cincinnati. Discover the economic and social transformation of Britain between 1750 and 1819. Learn how both the growth and integration of the British economy with its expanding imperial and global reach created Austen’s world as well as the material culture and emotional economy that would come to define it.
This is a free event. Optional box lunch: $10 for Taft members; $15 for non-members. Museum admission sold separately. Registration required one week in advance.
Questions? Contact education@taftmuseum.org.
Coat, Waistcoat, Trousers, and Boots, Pride and Prejudice, 1995, Simon Langton, director. Worn by Crispin Bonham-Carter as Charles Bingley. Dinah Collin, costume designer
Talk | Regency Fashion
On-Site Program
Thursday, July 7
6:30–7:30 p.m.
Join bestselling romance author Candice Hern to explore the history of fashion and dress in Regency Britain. Discover fashions for various occasions and activities of Jane Austen’s era, including day wear, evening wear, and specialty fashions such as court dress, riding habits, and mourning dress.
Free for Taft members! Non-members save when they purchase tickets in advance online. $8 for guests of members; $18 non-members; $16 seniors. Includes admission to Jane Austen: Fashion & Sensibility, Jane Austen in London: A Wall-Sized Map, and the museum’s permanent collection galleries located in the Taft historic house.
Questions? Contact education@taftmuseum.org.
Workshop | Jane Austen Embroidery
On-Site Program
Saturday, July 16
9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Eye-catching embroideries never go out of style. Join Sue Koehler and Jana Bass, members of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America, for an inspiring workshop in hand embroidery. Participants will learn a combination of stitches including chain stitch, French knots, back stitch, satin stitch, and more. By the end of the workshop, you will complete a modern project inspired by 18th-century embroidery patterns and have acquired the skills to create more pieces as inspiration strikes!
$40 Taft members; $55 non-members. Includes admission to Jane Austen: Fashion & Sensibility, Jane Austen in London: A Wall-Sized Map, and the museum’s permanent collection galleries located in the Taft historic house.
Age level: 12 and up.
No prior experience is necessary. Participants can either bring their own lunch or purchase lunch at the Lindner Family Café. Reservations required.
Questions? Contact education@taftmuseum.org.
Concert | The Regency Era
Sunday, July 17
3–4 p.m.
Enjoy a summer concert with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra’s woodwind quintet as you’re transported back in time to the Regency era. Discover the classical composers of Austen’s lifetime for an exquisite afternoon.
These are free events. Due to the popularity of these concerts, reservations are required in advance. Museum admission sold separately.
Questions? Contact education@taftmuseum.org.
Workshop | Beginner's Bookbinding
On-Site Program
Saturday, August 6
10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Books and reading played a significant role in the lives of Jane Austen’s characters and a key role in Austen’s own life. Join experts from the Cincinnati Book Arts Society for a hands-on introduction to bookmaking. Following the workshop, you will create two handmade books and come away with inspiration for your own further explorations in the book arts.
$60 Taft members; $75 non-members. Includes admission to Jane Austen: Fashion & Sensibility, Jane Austen in London: A Wall-Sized Map, and the museum’s permanent collection galleries located in the Taft historic house.
Age level: 12 and up.
No prior experience is necessary. Participants can either bring their own lunch or purchase lunch at the Lindner Family Café. Reservations required.
Questions? Contact education@taftmuseum.org.
Concert | Storytelling with Classical Music
Sunday, August 28
3–4 p.m.
The Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra welcomes you to experience an intimate salon-style concert, made
popular during the Regency era. Music of Austen’s time will be featured alongside scores from treasured
movie adaptations of Austen’s novels.
These are free events. Due to the popularity of these concerts, reservations are required in advance. Museum admission sold separately.
Questions? Contact education@taftmuseum.org.
Exhibition Sponsor
Foundation Support Provided by
The H.B., E.W., and F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank and Narley L. Haley, Co-Trustees
The John A. Schroth Family Charitable Trust
The Sutphin Family Foundation
The John Hauck Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, John W. Hauck and Narley L. Haley, Co-Trustees
The Frank J. Kloenne and Jacqueline Dawson Kloenne Foundation, Fifth Third Bank and Narley L. Haley, Co-Trustees