[Image: Vintage Postcard]
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I send you to last year’s post on Jane Austen’s Very Own Scrooge!
[Dinner at Randalls at Chrismologist.blogspot.com]
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Wishing You All a Very Merry Christmas!!
With Love from Deb
at Jane Austen in Vermont
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Jane Austen in Vermont 
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Deb! Thanks for a year of Austen post, keeping us informed. May the Holidays bring you peace and joy, and wonderful time with family and friends!
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Hi Arti – have been away from my computer, so finally answering comments – thank you for your fine Christmas greetings! and wishing you a very Happy New Year with wishes for a joyful beginning to 2012!
Best,
Deb
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Dear Deb, I hope that you have had a good Christmas.
I have now managed to view the Boxing Day programme regarding Dr Paula Byrne’s found portrait of Jane Austen (?)
It was all very interesting… as I found my self mentally revisiting my research into the Austen family likenesses prior to seeing the show. My initial reaction upon seeing the image circulated on the web a few weeks ago was very positive as there are many Austen like features in the drawing. I began to think I might have to revisit my painting and tweak the nose a little… was her nose really that much of a feature ??? I have not come across any written reference to her nose other than one to say, in fact that she had a smaller nose…During my research Austen noses were compared. Did she, as this new find would suggest, have one of the largest noses in the family? It was also pointed out in the show that the name Austen on the back of the drawing was spelled Austin…There was a possible explanation given for this. I shall however not be too hasty in any alteration to my painting for the present time.
At the conclusion to the programme a panel of three decided, (two to one) that this could indeed possibly be portrait of Jane. The exception to this opinion was Deirdre LeFaye. She was very adamant that this was not Jane Austen.
In conclusion a very interesting portrait of the period, perhaps Jane Austen. I think the jury is still out. Let us hope that the BBC programme will help to fill in more pieces of the puzzle. I am sure that Dr. Paula Byrne, like many,would like to say that her drawing of Jane Austin is a real likeness of Jane Austen… I wish her well in her pursuit of an answer.
All the best, and a Happy New Year,Tom Clifford
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Hi Tom – just getting to answer you – have been away for the holiday week – thank you for this information on the Paula Byrne portrait documentary – all very interesting and as you say not definitive at all – I am not surprised that Deirdre Le Faye is adamant – she is very strict that any Austen information be exact as possible – no guesswork on her part about anything, as you know!
I hope I get to see this program at some point – I have not been following anything about this show or Vickery’s Dec 24the show through these holidays – time to get back into Austenland!
Thank you again Tom for your thoughts – I will likely post this at some point as a separate post so others can see it better than as just a comment… need to gather up the various opinions – it doesn’t take long to be out of the loop!
Hope you have had a Happy Holiday week and a joyful New Year today!
Best,
Deb
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