I visited the Jane Austen Centre in Bath, England, and I had a pleasant but underwhelming experience. Visitors listen to a roughly 20-minute lecture about Austen’s life, particularly as it relates to the city of Bath, and then proceed through a small exhibit. The museum is largely focused on Austen’s family and her life trajectory; I wish there was more engagement with her books. In a theater-like room, there is a continuously playing short film, which was informative but suffered from cringeworthy attempts at humor. Still, I appreciated the fun interactive activities, like trying on Regency-era outfits and writing with a quill. (The latter was surprisingly difficult, and I’ll stick to typing on my computer.)
One thing bothered me: The centre’s tour guides and staff members doubled as actors playing characters from Austen’s books, and they were appropriately dressed to suit the roles, yet they spoke rather normally, which detracted from the illusion of going back through time. It is somewhat disorienting to stare at someone wearing Regency-era attire who uses modern lingo. I admit that I nearly laughed out loud when an employee performing as a Pride and Prejudice character used the word “iPhone.” The sheer absurdity! Austen was a gifted writer, but she wasn’t blessed with accurate predictions about Apple products.
I think that historical reenactments — at the Austen Centre and elsewhere — shouldn’t be reduced to mere costumes. Most (if not all) actors would agree that performing a part requires more than wearing a specific outfit, and I would appreciate it if the staff members at museums showed a bit more commitment to give a stronger impression of authenticity. To be clear, I’m not suggesting that they forgo showering for weeks. But there should at least be efforts to avoid obvious anachronisms.