Elizabeth Gaskell's House exhibition explores links to Bronte

The Cranford author lived in a Manchester villa from 1850 until her death in 1865

A new permanent exhibition has opened at Elizabeth Gaskell's House exploring the author's role in Victorian society and her links to Charlotte Bronte.

The Cranford author lived in the 19th Century Manchester villa from 1850 until her death in 1865.

The exhibition explores Gaskell's involvement with social and charitable organisations in the city.

It also shows her association with the leading reformers, writers and artists of the time.

The exhibition explores Gaskell's involvement with social and charitable organisations

They held her in high esteem, with her friend Charlotte Bronte describing her as "kind, clever, animated and unaffected".

Gaskell wrote about poverty, class divide and inequality, in novels such as North and South, and Wives and Daughters, and was an active citizen that wanted to see change.

Amongst the circle of friends she would meet, invite to her home and correspond with were Harriet Beecher Stowe, George Eliot, Florence Nightingale and Charles Dickens.

Gaskell wrote about poverty, class divide and inequality

Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd, house manager, said: "As well as extending perceptions of Elizabeth and exploring different aspects of her life, [the exhibition] helps to paint a fascinating picture of Victorian life - of women that shared not just passions in their work, but passions for change and improvements to the world around them.

"Elizabeth Gaskell was very much a woman ahead of her time, which is perhaps why her novels have held such relevance to generations of readers ever since."

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