It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single museum in possession of a good collection, must be in want of funds. Jane Austen’s house is no exception, impacted by the pandemic in much the same way as its larger brothers and sisters.
The house has seen fit to reopen, some four months after its pandemic related closure, with the requisite changes made to allow for this. Lizzie Dunford, the museum’s director notes that: “The new one-way system, and using hand sanitiser, can be disconcerting for visitors,” continuing that, “We really wanted to make the house feel like a home where people are still living, so that visitors can feel welcome, feel safe.”
The house is something of a success story. Over one million visitors have come to call since the house opened to the public in 1949, which The Telegraph muses is “not at all bad for somewhere off the beaten track, nestled among the thatched cottages of the placid village of Chawton in Hampshire.”
Yet desperate times called for desperate measures, as Dunford notes: “Things were looking very bleak indeed,” continuing, “We are an independent charity and our day-to-day operations are 100 per cent funded by our visitor income.”
The museum introduced a “survival appeal” in June, meeting its target in just 36 hours. The crowdfunding has currently raised some £96,010 at the time of writing.
For shop supervisor, Liz Bridges, the future is certain. “We will survive. We will all put in every effort to keep it open for the public. We can’t let it be lost on our watch,” she concludes. We are sure Emma would be proud.
