Calling All Jane Austen Lovers!! Visit the “Undressing Jane Austen’s World” Exhibit at DC’s DAR Museum.

Late last month, I came across an article titled, Jane Austen Exhibit Celebrates Beloved Author’s Literary Fashion by Madeline Weinfield. In the article, Madeline Weinfield wrote the following:

It is a universally acknowledged truth that to love Jane Austen is to love the clothing depicted in her novels. It is also a truth universally less acknowledged that her novel’s subsequent screen adaptations have taken some liberties with the wardrobes of Austen’s characters.

A new exhibit at DC’s DAR Museum shines a light on the clothing and fashions of the beloved writer’s world and characters. It also dispels some commonly held misconceptions about the sartorial customs of her age.

Wow! If I lived closer to Washington D. C., I'd love to see the "Undressing Jane Austen's World" exhibit in person. What an interesting exhibit to offer on the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth.

Click on the above link to read the entire article by Madeline Weinfeild and also visit the link for the DAR Museum website.

Mary Shelly's House of Frankenstein Museum has opened in Bath, England!!

 

How did I not hear about Mary Shelly's House of Frankenstein Museum in Bath, England sooner? This attraction recently opened in July 2021 and it sounds amazing!! I would love to visit this immersive museum in person some day.

Watch the brief video above about Mary Shelly's House of Frankenstein Museum. Additionally, click on the above link to check out this museum's website.

The American Writers Museum in Chicago, Illinois

 

I recently learned about The American Writers Museum in Chicago, Illinois, which opened in 2017. I would to love visit The American Writers Museum as I loving reading and of course, would love to learn more about various American writers. 

I had fun browsing The American Writers Museum's website and learning more about this museum. I discovered the museum's mission as follows:

THE MISSION OF THE AMERICAN WRITERS MUSEUM IS TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC IN CELEBRATING AMERICAN WRITERS AND EXPLORING THEIR INFLUENCE ON OUR HISTORY, OUR IDENTITY, OUR CULTURE, AND OUR DAILY LIVES.

The American Writers Museum strives to:

• Educate the public about American writers – past and present
• Engage visitors to the Museum in exploring the many exciting worlds created by the spoken and written word
• Enrich and deepen appreciation for good writing in all its forms
• Motivate visitors to discover, or rediscover, a love of reading and writing
• Inspire the young writers of tomorrow

I learned that The American Writers Museum also has a YouTube Page with plenty of videos to view. They also have a podcast. Additionally, they have an online calendar where you can sign up to watch live virtual events.

Have you visited The American Writers Museum? If so, what was your experience like?

American Bookbinders Museum in San Francisco, California

Last weekend, my husband and I had fun visiting the American Bookbinders Museum in downtown San Francisco, California for the first time. 

We attended a literary event at the American Bookbinders Museum titled SF In SF. We had a blast during our time at the American Bookbinders Museum and spent roughly three hours there. We enjoyed walking through the museum looking at the current exhibit, but we look forward to returning for a guided tour of the museum in the future. The bulk of our time was spent enjoying the festivities of the event we came to attend while at the American Bookbinders Museum.

The American Bookbinders Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm. They offer guided tours of their museum on a daily basis at 11am and 2pm. Below is more information about the American Bookbinders Museum from their about page:

The American Bookbinders Museum is the only museum of its kind in North America, celebrating and exploring the culture and tools of bookbinders and bookbinding from its earliest forms through the changes and innovations of the industrial revolution.

In addition to the craft and artistry of binding, we focus on the stories of the men, women, and children who worked in binderies.

Below are a few pictures taken while at the American Bookbinders Museum.

Entrance to the American Bookbinders Museum.

One of the current displays at the American Bookbinders Museum.

One of several bookbinding devices on display at the American Bookbinders Museum

My husband standing near another piece of bookbinding equipment at the American Bookbinders Museum.

For those interested in knowing more about bookbinding, then I recommend visiting the American Bookbinders Museum.

A Visit to the San Francisco Center For The Book

Me @ The SF Center For The Book!

It's been a dream of mine to visit the San Francisco Center For The Book ever since I first learned and blogged about this place back in January 2012 here on Captivated Reader.

Since my husband and I have moved up to the San Francisco Bay Area, we finally made the pilgrimage to the San Francisco Center For The Book yesterday afternoon.

I liked the location of the San Francisco Center For The Book. It's away from the tourist area... Yippee!! They have friendly staff members, many cool workshops held throughout the year, exhibits, opening receptions for exhibits, and so much more!! I want to take one of their bookbinding or letterpress classes in the future.

Here's more information about the San Francisco Center For The Book from their website:

The San Francisco Center for the Book is a center of inspiration for the book arts world, featuring the art & craft of letterpress printing, bookbinding, and artists bookmaking. We are dedicated to the art of the book! 

The San Francisco Center for the Book is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that fosters the joy of books and bookmaking, the history, artistry, and continuing presence of books in our culture and enduring importance as a medium of self-expression. We provide both a home for Bay Area book artists and a place where the wider community can discover book arts. Everyone is welcome here, experienced practitioners and newcomers alike.

San Francisco Center for the Book offers 400 workshops annually, which offer learning opportunities at all levels: from introductory classes, to focused advanced and master courses spanning the range of bookbinding and letterpress printing techniques, from traditional methods to cutting-edge printing techniques and experimental book forms.

Exhibitions at San Francisco Center for the Book are designed to inform and inspire visitors. Free public programs include opening receptions for exhibitions in the gallery, book release parties for our publications, gallery talks, tours, open houses, mixers and other community events including the annual Roadworks Steamroller Printing Festival and Holiday Fair.

Have you visited any interesting book related places lately?

Until my next post, happy reading!!