‘Man Up!’ exhibition of cross-dressing women soldiers at Chawton House

Yesterday I visited Chawton House that has a special library of 6000 women’s books and from this they have curated an exhibition about cross-dressing women soldiers. Called ‘Man Up’ it tells of women who cross-dressed to become soldiers, pirates and also on the stage. Showing a first edition book of Mary Anne Talbot’s story, illustrations of Hannah Snell’s acting on stage and Anne Bonney- the pirate. I gifted a copy of my book ‘Cross-dressed to Kill’ for their library to boost their literature on cross-dressing women soldiers and will also give an online talk on the same subject for them in the New Year. The house is wonderfully evocative of Jane Austen’s life and family, for her brother inherited it and she lived in a cottage just down the road. She walked the parkland, through the wilderness paths and into the walled garden. The long drive leading to the house matches her descriptions of carriages arriving or visitors on horseback. A magical place to visit.