The State Library of Victoria (SLV) has acquired a rare first edition of Jane Austen's Emma, a purchase aimed at correcting the gender imbalance in its rare books collection.
Three leather-bound volumes of the 1816 edition were bought from antiquarian booksellers Maggs Bros at Melbourne's Rare Book Fair, coinciding with the 250th birthday celebration of the English author.
Philanthropist Helen Sykes, a founding donor of the library's Women Writers Fund, expressed excitement over the acquisition, noting its extraordinary provenance.
The fund, established in 2021, raised $100,000 to purchase the 210-year-old book. Sykes and Krystyna Campbell-Pretty are among the founding donors.
The copy once belonged to Austen's great-nephew, Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen.
The volumes remain in their original tree-calf leather binding, with the title discreetly written on the spine without the author's name.
Austen published anonymously during her lifetime.
Her identity was revealed only after her death in 1817, appearing in the preface to the posthumous edition of Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.
Dr Anna Welch, principal collection curator of historical books at SLV, noted that Austen's brother Henry and sister Cassandra organized the publication of those last two novels, marking the first time Austen's name appeared in print as the author.
Preservation and Access
The library's conservation team created a special box for each volume.
When not on display, the books are kept in a high-security area with controlled temperature, light, and humidity.
The volumes are small, about 15cm tall, with delicate pages that require careful handling.
Visitors can request access to read the books in special rooms, where staff guide them on handling the objects using small cushions and weights.
Gloves are not required. Welch explained that clean, dry hands are best for dexterity, as gloves can make handling clumsier.
Women Writers Fund Impact
Since its establishment in 2021, the Women Writers Fund has raised $750,000 and secured 250 books for the library.
The fund aims to acquire works by capable, competent, and trailblazing women to fix historical collection imbalances.
Welch noted that while Austen is highly collectible today, her works were not a priority for library founder Sir Redmond Barry, who focused on classic English male authors like Chaucer and Shakespeare.
The rare first edition of Emma will be featured in the World of the Book exhibition, reopening on 4 July, alongside 126 books secured by the fund.
This includes a first edition of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, acquired for about £8,000 five years ago.
The exhibition also features a "Peacock edition" of Pride and Prejudice with black-and-white illustrations, and the first full-colour illustrations of Austen's works in an 1897 travelling library set.
The fund now targets first editions of Brontë novels, as Australian female writers are already well represented in the collection.
Other Australian institutions, including the State Library of South Australia and the State Library of New South Wales, also hold first editions of Emma.
Welch emphasized the importance of first editions, noting that they represent the first expression of a work and often contain textual and binding changes between editions.
