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As part of our focus on childhood for 2024, artist Charlotte Dawson reflects on the Brontës' childhood toys and the stories and characters of their early writings. Her new sculptural piece, on display in the Museum until the end of the year, pairs these themes with the visual language of traditional letterpress printing, recycling the metal from old printing presses to create intricate sculptures.
 

Each figure within the artwork references a character from the Brontë juvenilia, presented as toy soldiers. The characters featured were used by the Brontë children as early pseudonyms and take direct influence from descriptions and drawings by the Brontës. 
 

The piece investigates the importance of publishing in the Brontës’ early creative ventures, the rise in countrywide industry during the nineteenth century, and the practice of worldbuilding in the siblings' childhood storytelling.