Jane Austen Collection

Ephemeral Material

The collection is enriched by a quantity of ephemeral material that contains much of interest to researchers and to Janeites. Within the uncataloged materials can be found Alberta Burke's card index of the books in her collection, divided into categories such as "works and letters," "biographies and criticisms," "translations," "continuations and dramatizations," "periodicals," "catalogs," "Austen's World," and "novels," subdivided by title. There are ten volumes of notebooks, which she began in 1936 and entitled "References and Allusions to Jane Austen." They contain loosely chronological clippings from periodicals and catalogues, correspondence, playbills and memorabilia, and anything else that has any connection to Jane Austen. At the back of each notebook is a numbered list of the references, often with the passages quoted, and the source fully cited. There are 2,805 entries, spanning from 1936 to 1975. The notebooks conclude with a clipping of Alberta Burke's obituary.

From a wide and often obscure variety of sources, the Burkes collected articles about the life and times of Jane Austen, her works, films and offshoots of her works, and the publishing and collecting of Jane Austen materials. Included are typescripts of screen adaptations and articles, some written by Henry Burke, and some unpublished writing. There is correspondence between the Burkes and other Janeites, particularly David Gilson, and some JASNA materials. Photocopies of Jane Austen's letters and a list of dissertations about her should be of use to researchers.

Alberta Burke's scrupulously kept records provide a wealth of information for bibliographers and collectors. Stuck into her heavily annotated Jane Austen: A Bibliography by Geoffrey Keynes is her handwritten list of "books not listed by Keynes in Period of Bibliography." The Burkes collected auction and exhibit catalogues as well as publishers' announcements, and much of the correspondence includes bibliographic information.

The other areas of interest to the Burkes, particularly costume and travel, are well represented in the Collection. The papers of the Burke family, such as photographs, recipes, a marriage certificate and a few other documents, are also available.

The collection also includes Bicentenary postage stamps, a doll, engraved silver plaques commemorating the novels, a cameo bisque porcelain plaque, mug and pillbox, and mementos of locations such as Chawton or places mentioned in the novels.

Table of Contents || Audiovisual || The Collectors