The Parsonage's Sexhibition

A new press release from the Brontë Parsonage Museum:

New Branwell ‘Sexhibition’ opened at Brontë Parsonage Museum

‘Sex, Drugs and Literature: The Infernal World of Branwell Brontë’.

The Brontë Parsonage Museum are pleased to announce the opening of their new exhibition dedicated to the life, work and death of Branwell Brontë. From the 1st of June 2009 – 1st June 2011 visitors to the museum will leave with a greater appreciation and understanding of Branwell’s contribution to the world’s most famous literary family.

Unlike his sisters’ famous literary achievements, it seems that Branwell’s only claim to fame is excessive drinking and drug abuse. His biographers have tended to focus on Branwell’s vices rather than his victories and his inevitable slow and painful demise to death at the age of thirty-one. For the first time ever at the museum, we have devoted this entire exhibition to celebrate Branwell’s life. By displaying his creative contribution to the Brontë canon in the form of drawings, letters, manuscripts and other material from our collection, we have demonstrated the young man’s extensive talent and influential role which he played in his sisters’ lives.

For the first six months of the exhibition we have a letter on special loan from The Wordsworth Trust written by Branwell to William Wordsworth. During the course of the two year exhibition, we will be changing our objects on display so that other Branwell treasures can be seen. (Sarah Laycock)

EDIT: Further information can be found on BBC-Bradford and West Yorkshire, including a video:

Ann Dinsdale is one of the people behind the exhibition at the Brontë Parsonage Museum and she believes that, tragically, Branwell Brontë's addictions are what he is best known for: "He was an alcoholic and a drug addict, he was addicted to opium…But initially he was talented. He was the leading light of the family…In fact he was the first of the Brontë siblings to get his poems printed." Ann hopes that the exhibition, which includes Branwell's art and poetry, will change people's perceptions of the man and his family as well: "I think it's a wonderful opportunity for people to see so many of his works on display at one time and maybe take a fresh look at the family."
Ann talks about the reasons behind the exhibition: "We've never had an exhibition completely devoted to Branwell before so this is the first exhibition that is just focusing on him. We did feel that he was quite neglected really and it [an exhibition on Branwell] was overdue. We have a lot of Branwell's transcripts, paintings, drawings, and books in the collection. We've got a really good collection of his personal belongings on display." And plunging deep into Branwell's life story it becomes clear that, as Ann believes, there is an interesting tale to be told about the black sheep of the Brontë family.
Born in Thornton in Bradford in 1817 Branwell was the only male of the Brontë siblings. This brought with it the crushing weight of family expectation. Ann says that this pressure led to Branwell's downfall: "Initially he was talented. He was the leading light of the family and encouraged his sisters to write and create these imaginary worlds. And yet, he carried the expectations of his family on his shoulders. They expected great things of him as the only boy in the family. And, as he got older, he was just unable to cope with it."
Branwell's father Patrick seems to have had great expectations of his son. The Brontë brother took a keen interest in literature from an early age as he enjoyed writing with his sister Charlotte, creating fantastical imaginary worlds. Branwell was looked up to by his sisters and the Brontë Museum's Ann Dinsdale believes that he played a major role in inspiring Emily, Charlotte and Anne to write: "He had a huge impact on his sisters and the novels that they went on to eventually write…He encouraged his sisters to write and create these imaginary worlds…I think it's partly due to Branwell's influence that they did become writers and serve this long literary apprenticeship and Branwell was the one who instigated that."
But it was art, not literature, which became Branwell Brontë's main passion as he trained as a portrait painter in Haworth. However, he went through a variety of different jobs which all seemed to end in despair. In 1840 he took up a position as tutor for the Postlethwaite family in Broughton-In-Furness but was sacked a few months later. He lost his job as a clerk in charge of Luddenden Foot railway station for failing to control the station's accounts, and was sacked from his job as tutor to the Robinson family in Thorp Green after it was discovered that he was having an affair with Mrs Robinson. By 1846 Branwell was plummeting further and further into drink and opium addiction.
One of the key features of the exhibition is a letter that Branwell sent to poet William Wordsworth seeking advice as he began tentative steps toward a career in literature, a career that never came to fruition as the letter failed to evoke a response from Wordsworth. Ann Dinsdale explains: "We've got a letter that Branwell wrote to the poet William Wordsworth that is on loan to us for six months from the Wordsworth Trust. That is definitely one of the highlights of the exhibition. Branwell did consider a career in literature and he sent samples of his poems to Wordsworth to get an opinion. But, unfortunately, he comes across as being quite arrogant in the letter and Wordsworth never replied to it. But he did keep the letter…"
There is also a display of rare sketches. Ann adds: "We have a lot of Branwell's drawings in the collection and, on the back of one of his finished drawings, there are some tiny pencil drawings of tiny figures. They appear to be scenes of decadent behaviour...The speculation is that Branwell was in the habit of producing quite indecent sketches which were later destroyed but this one has somehow survived and is on display."
There certainly seems to be more to the black sheep of the Brontë family than might first be thought - and perhaps he even played a part in creating his sister's masterpieces - but, with this new exhibition, it's certain that Branwell Brontë is finally enjoying his time in the limelight. (Joe Hibbert)

Categories: Art-Exhibitions, Brontë Parsonage Museum