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Jane Austen’s Christmas
December 4, 2019 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Novels, letters, paintings and engravings are used to bring the Georgian Christmas to life.
Dr Claire Walsh
Claire Walsh holds an MA from the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Royal College of Art; a PhD from the European University Institute, Florence. Having previously worked at the V&A and lectured there and for the University of Warwick, now lectures for the Open University. She has lectured widely in Britain; at the Courtauld Institute of Art and Museum of London amongst others, and to specialist groups including the Art Fund, the Ceramics Society, the Costume Society and the Ancient Monuments Society. She has also lectured in Europe, the USA (including Yale and the Huntington) and Canada and has numerous publications.
It was a lovely Pearl reception and thanks to all the committee who arranged it. The lecture was a bit disorganised but this could be because the sound system required the lecturer to hold the mike throughout which is very challenging for a speaker. I hope RGU gives us a handsome discount for the faulty sound system. It seems to be a chronic problem. No excuse for this in a digital age. I hope they can sort it out by January.
Anne Wolrige Gordon
We thoroughly enjoyed the lecture. It gave us insight into what Christmas used to be like in Georgian times. A non event unless you were able to entertain lavishly! We thought Claire was articulate and the visual part illuminating.
I do agree that RGU needs to provide us with a much better sound system. At the back it was difficult to hear the vote of thanks and the questions. A microphone needs to be used for that too.
Linda Glover
I agree with all Anne said about the pearl reception, which was most enjoyable and the lecture, which was full of detail but delivered with a light tone and humour. I was at the back of the lecture theatre and those of us further back found that a fixture in the ceiling, intruded into our view so that part of the picture and some captions were obscured.
I thought that the content was somewhat thin but the speaker was not helped by the sub-standard microphone system. This new lecture theatre is not a patch on the other and I trust is costing us less.
An enjoyable lecture which made me feel there might be more information out there about Georgian festivities than we received. I thought Dr Walsh coped with the microphone very well; the Q. & A section showed just how tricky it was. I brought a visitor with me, a Jane Austen fan, who thought the evening was very good. We spent much time today pondering over the shape of a Georgian bullet (as in the parlour game). Does anyone know? Thanks to all involved with the Pearl reception. Merry Christmas all!
Fascinating to learn how different the Georgian Christmas was from our own. Also interesting to hear about the significance of balls in courtship!