Charlotte Brontë’s writing desk

This small writing desk belonged to Charlotte Brontë (1816–1855). The portable box, with compartments for paper, ink, pens, and spare nibs, could be easily locked and transported for travel. Best known for her 1847 novel Jane Eyre, Brontë began writing as a young girl. She and her younger brother, Branwell, and her sisters, Emily and Anne, began collaborating on plays, stories, and poems in 1827. The siblings remained close throughout their short lives: Charlotte, who died at the age of 38, outlived them all. The writing desk was unlocked for the first time in 1973, more than three decades after the Library acquired it, leading to the discovery that the compartments had been used to store keepsakes, including memorial cards for Branwell and Emily.