Over the nearly five years I’ve been blogging about Jane Austen, Jane Austen’s House Museum -- aka Chawton cottage, the beloved pilgrimage site in Hampshire, England, where Austen wrote or revised all six of her completed novels -- has created more than one Janeite Dream Job.
There was the recruiting of trustees, the search for unpaid weekend help to deal with the crush of tourists – even the (non-cottage-related, but still) sale of Cassandra’s Cup, the teashop across the street.
The latest example: The museum is seeking volunteers to catalogue the various items uncovered in the cottage’s gardens over the past twenty years. No word on what these items include, but the job announcement is illustrated with a photo of decorative ceramic shards.
Although the work may have only a tangential relationship to Austen – Chawton Cottage was inhabited for more than a century after her death – you never know what may have turned up. “We hope the objects found will provide a greater insight into the history of the site as well as assisting with any future interpretation and dressing of the house itself,” the museum’s announcement explains.
The job is unpaid, but it has its perks: A 25 percent discount on Mr. Darcy tote bags and the rest of the merchandise in the museum shop, and “tea, coffee and biscuits during your shift.” Not to mention the truly priceless part of the experience: the chance to spend some hours hanging around Jane Austen’s last home.