By Jennifer Adam
The latest exhibition at The Bank of England Museum celebrates the launch of the Jane Austen £10 note this summer, with a display about the Bank of England’s literary connections. Jane Austen is one of the most beloved authors in the English language, popular around the world. The issue of the Bank’s new £10 note, featuring Austen on the reverse, presented an ideal opportunity to explore the theme of money in Austen’s work, including occasional allusions to the Bank of England itself.
The exhibition also considers other literary figures associated with the Bank and its appearances as a setting, an inspiration, and - as an institution - even a kind of character in itself. This article explores some of the themes featured in an exhibition which draws together source material from several other museums, banking archives, and individuals. The exhibition itself focuses on fiction with a link to the Bank of England or the City of London, featuring more than 30 separate works - a selection of which are mentioned here.
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