University News | December 19, 2011

Brontë magazine, similar to Harvard holdings, sold

Manuscript, sold for $1.1 million, leaves England; magazine complements books in Harvard collection.

A handwritten magazine created by the young Charlotte Brontë has been sold at auction at Sotheby's in London for $1.1 million, according to the New York Times. The buyer is a museum in Paris. The sale deflates the hopes of the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, England, which had been guaranteed more than $900,000 from National Heritage funds to bid for the text in an attempt to keep the 1.5-by-2.5-inch manuscript in England; it owns four parts of the six-part series (the sixth work is untraced).

Harvard Magazine's new issue reports on the Houghton Library's collection of nine of the Brontë miniature books (of about 20), dating from the same period.

Related topics

University News

Books & Literary Life

You might also like

Map showing urban layout with roads, green spaces, and waterways.

Boston Board Approves Harvard’s Enterprise Research Campus Framework

City planners adopt principles to guide future development of the commercial innovation district in Allston.

A smiling judge wearing a black robe, seated in a wood-paneled courtroom.

At Harvard Talk, Retired Supreme Court Justice Breyer Defends Shadow Docket

The current law professor also spoke about affirmative action, partisanship, and the limits of “bright-line rules.”

Three diverse individuals smiling, with a green background on the left and formal attire on the right.

Harvard Alumni Honored for University Service

The 2026 Harvard Medal recipients will be honored on June 5.

Most popular

Colorful illustrated map of Colonial Cambridge and the Harvard College campus featuring buildings of the campus, houses, Cambridge Common, and the Charles River

250 Years Ago, Harvard Was Home to a Revolution

A look at the sights, sounds, and characters that put the University on the frontlines of history

Picketers holding signs march outside the Smith Campus Center, advocating for labor rights.

Harvard Graduate Student Workers Strike

Union demands higher pay, protections for non-citizen members, and changes to the harassment complaint process.

Massachusetts Hall under a clear blue sky, showcasing a prominent clock and large windows.

Government Seeks to Move Funding Case to Contracts Court

In a new appellate brief, the Trump administration shifts its argument for rescinding Harvard’s grants.

Explore More From Current Issue

Woman with long hair, smiling, wearing a black sweater, in a textured beige background.

For This Poet, AI is a Writing Partner

Sasha Stiles trained a chatbot on her manuscripts. Now, her poems rewrite themselves.

Alene Anello smiling surrounded by four chickens in a natural outdoor setting.

Alumni Profiles

Harvard-trained Lawyer Fights for the Rights of Chickens

Alene Anello wants to apply animal cruelty laws to birds raised for meat.

Historical battle scene with soldiers in red and blue uniforms, flags waving, chaotic action.

Harvard Celebrates America’s 250th

The Harvard-Trained Doctor Who Urged a Revolution

Before his heroic death, General Joseph Warren was dubbed “the greatest incendiary in all of America.”