NON-FICTION WRITING
‘Material Witness: Charlotte Brontë’s Life Through Clothes
Eleanor’s book ‘Material Witness’ finally gives voice to the many gowns, bonnets, shawls, corset, parasols, boots, shoes and mittens that make up Charlotte Brontë’s wardrobe. As the title of this book suggests, these garments prove themselves ‘material witnesses’ to a life lived—one that was both ordinary and extraordinary, public and private, obscure and famous. Through the close study of these remarkable garments, we gain new and fascinating insight into her life, her works and the society in which she lived. Watch this space for more!
‘Charlotte Brontë, Embodiment and the Material World’
This edited collection was published by Palgrave Macmillan in June 2020. Edited by Eleanor (Houghton!) and Justine Pizzo, the book draws together together nine original essays by specialists in material culture, book history, literary criticism and curatorial and archival studies. The innovative volume addresses a wide range of Brontë’s writing—from vignettes composed during her teenage years to completed novels and unfinished works. In bringing to life the surprising array of embodied experiences that shaped Brontë’s creative practice (from writing to book-making, painting, and drawing) Charlotte Brontë, Embodiment and the Material World forges new connections between historical, material, and textual approaches to the author’s work.
‘Charlotte Brontë’s Moccasins: The Wild West Brought Home’
Eleanor’s essay, included in the volume, Charlotte Brontë, Embodiment and the Material World, places focus on a pair of heavily-beaded moccasins and matching ankle cuffs that once belonged to the famed author. It finds that the significance of these shoes cannot be overstated, that they not only connect Brontë with global markets but also offer insight into one of the most poignant periods of her life. The little beaded shoes are also found to have had an unexpected influence on her imagination and consequently on her writing. The essay has already attracted the attention of several notable literary scholars including Ruth Livesley and Sally Shuttleworth.
‘Unravelling the Mystery: Charlotte Brontë’s 1850 Thackeray Dress’
In 2016, to mark the bicentenary of Charlotte Brontë’s birth, Eleanor wrote the lead article for the journal, Costume. The extended article centres on a key event in Brontë’s life— a formal dinner hosted by her literary hero, William Makepeace Thackeray. To this august occasion it had long been assumed that she wore a floral print, white and blue delaine skirt and bodice. This article begins by examining the colloquially named ‘Thackeray Dress’ in detail, before considering the evidence given in support of it having been worn to the dinner on 12 June 1850 and in so doing, attempts to separate fact from fiction.
The article has now been viewed nearly 3000 times and was picked up by press, notably The Guardian and ITV’s ‘Good Morning Britain’. Eleanor’s findings lead her to instigate a collaboration with the University of Southampton’s Electrochemistry department. Together, they have now carried out a series of exciting experiments on Brontë’s dress. The results will be included in Eleanor’s forthcoming book.