George Eliot Centenary, November 1919

This catalogue records a 1919 exhibition in St. Mary’s Hall, Coventry, marking the centenary of George Eliot. It brings together relics, manuscripts, prints, photographs and books that illuminate the writer’s personal and literary world, with special emphasis on her Coventry roots and close circle.

Among the items are family portraits of her father Robert Evans and brother Isaac, rare holograph letters discussing Positivist ideas and legal advice for Felix Holt, and first‑edition copies of Silas Marner and The Legend of Jubal with Eliot’s own marginal notes. Personal objects—a ring in memory of her mother, a silk‑covered pen used in Italy, and a musical box linked to Mill on the Floss—add intimate texture to the collection.

Listening to this guide lets you picture the exhibition’s atmosphere and hear the stories behind each artifact, offering a compact view of Victorian literary culture and the material world that shaped one of England’s most influential novelists. It serves as a concise companion for anyone interested in Eliot’s life, her works, or the broader Victorian era.