The Guardian and various other papers reported in December that a miniature Charlotte Brontë manuscript was sold to the Musée des Lettres et Manuscrits, Paris, for upwards of £690,000. The manuscript, which is so small it fits in the palm of a hand, is apparently one of a series with three others residing in the Brontë Parsonage Museum, Howarth and the whereabouts of the fifth still unknown.

It’s a great shame that the Brontë Museum were outbid and they must be deeply upset by it. It’s great, though, that at least we know the manuscript (its whereabouts also previously unknown) can now be preserved in presumably excellent conditions. A quick look at the Paris website doesn’t (unless my GCSE French betrays me, please correct me if I’m wrong) contain any mention of putting it on exhibition however they have been quick to digitise it. Take a look at the Musée des Lettres’ website and possibly the BEST zoom function you’ll see in a long while! Astonishing.