Help us bring this important item home to Haworth
On Monday 18 November a remarkable item will be auctioned in Paris: a tiny manuscript produced by Charlotte Brontë when she was just fourteen. The little book, dated 19 August 1830 and no bigger than a matchbox, is packed with stories and advertisements in Charlotte’s own tiny hand.
This important miniature manuscript is expected to sell for at least £650,000. We have been applying to trusts and foundations for many weeks and are now turning to our members, friends and the wider public to help us raise the funds required to enable us to go to the auction with a competitive bid.
Please can you help us to acquire this extraordinary item for the Brontë Parsonage Museum collection by making a donation today? You can donate below or by calling the Museum on 01535 642323.
Thank you. Your gift, large or small, will make a great difference to our campaign and help ensure that this time, the little book comes home to Haworth.
Why is this ‘little book’ so desirable?
This is one in a sequence of six little books, of which five are known to survive. We already hold the other four in our world-class collection and these magical tiny manuscripts (one pictured above) are among our most loved and treasured exhibits.
They are also of immense scholarly interest. Together, they chart Charlotte Brontë’s development as a writer and reveal early themes that carry over into her published work, including Jane Eyre. This particular manuscript includes three stories that have barely been seen by scholars and will offer valuable new insights into Charlotte’s work.
Finally, this little book holds a unique appeal: to our immense disappointment, this very manuscript slipped through our grasp in 2011, when we were outbid at auction.
Thank you.