Experience the world — and costumes — of Jane Austen

Tucked away in downtown Cincinnati, the Taft Museum of Art is a living landmark where art and history are everywhere you look. It’s here, that you’ll find gems nestled into every nook and cranny, surrounding you in stories that have endured for generations. 

This includes the museum’s permanent collection, which features the most significant pre-Civil War domestic murals in the United States and works by master artists such as Rembrandt, Goya, Gainsborough, and others — all within the museum’s 200-year-old house. 

This summer, the special exhibition Jane Austen: Fashion & Sensibility also graces the halls of this historic home for its North American debut (on view June 11–September 4, 2022). Jane Austen’s novels have been cherished by millions of readers for 200 years, a legacy as long as that of the Taft’s historic house.

Traveling from London, England, this exhibition is a must-see for lovers of Jane Austen’s classic novels and their film and television adaptations. Drawn from the collection of award-winning British costume house Cosprop Ltd, these meticulously tailored ensembles transport you to the Regency era through ball gowns, wedding dresses, day dresses, hats, jackets, waistcoats, riding habits, and more, featuring approximately fifty costumes and accessories. 

This exhibition brings to life beloved characters from Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Mansfield Park, featuring iconic costumes worn by Hollywood celebrities including Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Judi Dench, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant.

The Taft also presents Jane Austen in London: A Wall-Sized Map in conjunction with Fashion & Sensibility. Measuring 7-by-13 feet, this massive work on paper represents a monumental achievement in cartography and illustrates London locations from both Austen’s fiction and her life.

Enhance your special exhibition experience with an intimate Afternoon Tea among the Taft historic garden, sipping tea and savoring light bites, inspired by the Regency era. Following your tea, enjoy included admission to the exhibition and the Taft historic house galleries. 

Tickets are on sale now! Save on when you buy online. Learn more at taftmuseum.org/Jane-Austen.

Image credit: Silk Evening Dress and Turban, worn by Anna Chancellor as Miss Caroline Bingley, Silk Evening Dress and Turban, worn by Lucy Robinson as Mrs. Hurst. Pride and Prejudice , 1995, Simon Langton, director. Dinah Collin, costume designer