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Jane Austen Society of North America
2005 Annual General Meeting

October 7-9, 2005
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin



AGM Diversions
 Austen’s Entertaining Letters

Jane Austen’s letters are at the heart of the 2005 AGM. On Friday morning a calligraphy expert will be on hand to teach members how to write with a quill pen, while Wisconsin volunteers demonstrate how Austen folded her letters. No need to bring your own quill; trimmed goose feathers will be provided. 



Regency Room and Fashion Show


Inspired by dresses and hats in Austen’s letters, we are assembling a unique Regency Room featuring a collection of fashion dolls in Regency dress. The miniature ladies and gentlemen, with hand- painted porcelain faces, are reminiscent of 18th- century fashion poupees, which introduced the latest Paris mode to women in England. The dolls and full-size fashion recreations are the work of Theresa French, a Wisconsin historic costumer. A faithful replica of the Austens’ quilt, made by members of the Greater Chicago Region, will also be on view.  Theresa French will entertain at a noon fashion show on Saturday, as she dresses a model from the chemise up in an elegant, hooped gown of the early Georgian era. Familiar JASNA faces will take to the runway to model Regency fashions, while the audience relaxes with pre- ordered box lunches. (Place your order on the registration form.) Feel free to wear your own Regency finery at any time during the AGM weekend.
Your silence on the subject of our Ball makes me suppose your Curiosity too great for words. We were very well entertained, & could have staid longer.
Letter from Southampton, January 24, 1809

Saturday Night Gala Events

Saturday evening will find you toasting Jane Austen at the banquet with complimentary champagne. After dinner, members in Regency dress are invited to participate in the costume parade. AGM speakers will autograph their books during the Authors’ Assembly. When the musicians have finished tuning, Maureen Ryan, our caller for the Regency Ball, will announce the first dance. Those seeking quieter fare may attend an illustrated lecture by JASNA favorites Victoria Hinshaw and William Phillips: “‘Expect to be very much amused’: Art and Theatre in Jane Austen’s Letters.” The Whist Room will entertain card players until midnight.

Companion Tickets

A limited number of tickets will be sold for companions of paid registrants. The ticket includes Friday night entertainment, Saturday continental breakfast, Saturday banquet and Regency Ball, and Sunday brunch. It does not cover lectures or other events. Companion tickets (one per member) must be preordered on the registration form.

Austen Books and Regency Fair

During free moments at the hotel, members may shop in the bookstore and Regency Fair. The AGM once again welcomes Patricia Latkin’s Jane Austen Books. Travellers’ Tales Books, owned by Jill Hill, will tempt bibliophiles with rare books and period prints, while Juvenilia Press offers Austen’s youthful compositions. Visit the Regency Fair for merchandise you won’t find elsewhere, created and sold by JASNA regions. Your keepsake AGM tote bag will include a copy of Lady Susan, Austen’s early epistolary novel, in a new scholarly edition commissioned for the 2005 conference from Juvenilia Press. Meet the editors, Christine Alexander and David Owen, at the Lady Susan book launch on Thursday night.