Happy Christmas from the Library and Archives Team. We hope you're enjoying the food, drink, and time spent with family and friends this festive period. đđŠđ #WeeklyWildeWitticism
ALT Sepia photograph of Oscar Wilde, holding a cane and wearing a suit and fur coat. Christmas lights have been added on to the image, along with a Santa hat for Wilde. A speech bubble from Oscar has the words: ""I dined there on Monday, and once a week is quite enough to dine with one's own relatives." a quote from his play 'The importance of being Earnest'
Last but (we hope you agree) certainly not least, behind our final #Magdvent window is ⊠the Library and Archives Team! We spend our days helping Magdalen students, staff, and researchers access the material they need and making the library a great place to be!
ALT Advent calendar with all twenty-four âwindowsâ open.
ALT Photograph of library and archives team members, in St Johnâs Quad, Magdalen College, next to Magdalenâs Christmas Tree.
Merry Xmas from the Library and Archives team⊠and Roy! This Postcard of Magdalen tower, sent across the pond to the Catskill mountains, eventually made it back to our #Archives. From the postmark, we can see that the card dates back nearly 120 years- 12th Dec 1905. #Magdvent
ALT Advent calendar with twenty-three âwindowsâ open.
ALT Coloured postcard of Magdalen tower, with handwritten dedication, reading âMerry Xmas from Royâ Archives reference P322/P8/3
ALT Reverse of the postcard, with handwritten address and timestamp of 12 Dec â05 along with a penny stamp with King Edward VII on it
Behind todayâs #Magdvent window is⊠A timely reminder, this festive season, from the great Oscar Wilde, that itâs the thought that counts!
#WeeklyWildeWitticism
ALT Advent calendar with twenty-two âwindowsâ open.
ALT A decorated Christmas tree, with presents underneath it. On the right-hand-side, text reading: âA cynic is a man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothingâ Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan
Behind today's #Magdvent window we have... a photo #FromTheArchives of the College choir singing in Hall, dating from the 1950s. What is your favourite Christmas carol?
ALT Advent calendar with twenty-one âwindowsâ open.
ALT Black & white photograph of choir singing in the College Hall under a very large Christmas tree, dating from the 1950s. Archive reference: P424/P1/2
We donât know how Magdalen acquired a copy of the sermon, but weâre sure Ofspring would be pleased to hear itâs still available in the Old Library for anyone who needs sobering up! #Magdvent đ§”3/3
ALT Advent calendar with twenty âwindowsâ open.
ALT Title page of the book âThe lawfulness and the right manner of keeping Christmass and other festivals: a sermon preach'd at the parish church of St. Dunstan in the West, upon Christmas-Day, 1704.â By Ofspring Blackall The reference for the library book is a.12.4(27)
He was concerned that Christmas had become âan occasion of much Sinâ, with parishioners too focussed on âMusick, and Noise, and Merry-makingâ, and âgood Eating and Drinkingâ to remember the original meaning of the festival. #Magdvent đ§”2/3
ALT Advent calendar with twenty âwindowsâ open.
ALT Title page of the book âThe lawfulness and the right manner of keeping Christmass and other festivals: a sermon preach'd at the parish church of St. Dunstan in the West, upon Christmas-Day, 1704.â By Ofspring Blackall The reference for the library book is a.12.4(27)
If you were a parishioner at St. Dunstan in the West in 1704, you probably should have gone easy on the Christmas pudding. The intriguingly named Ofspring Blackall, vicar of this beautiful Fleet Street church, gave a stern sermon on Christmas Day. #Magdvent đ§”1/3
ALT Advent calendar with twenty âwindowsâ open.
ALT Title page of the book âThe lawfulness and the right manner of keeping Christmass and other festivals: a sermon preach'd at the parish church of St. Dunstan in the West, upon Christmas-Day, 1704.â By Ofspring Blackall The reference for the library book is a.12.4(27)
Think Christmas is for relaxing? Think again! Here we have the Magdalen College Boat Club training programme for the Christmas vac, 1996 #FromTheArchives Rowers are told to aim for 6 training sessions a week! But are reminded that it's FUN to work hard and race well #Magdvent
ALT Advent calendar with nineteen âwindowsâ open.
ALT Handwritten training plan for rowing and gym exercises. Archive reference O4/A6/7
ALT Handwritten training plan for rowing and gym exercises. Archive reference O4/A6/7
Behind todayâs window is⊠a 1st edition of âA House of Pomegranatesâ â a collection of tales by Oscar Wilde, published in 1891. This book, and many others, are on display in Magdalenâs Wilde: an exhibition in the Old Library. Open TODAY 2-4:30pm #Magdvent
ALT Advent calendar with eighteen âwindowsâ open.
ALT Cover of A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde
ALT Poster advertising Magdalen's Wilde, an exhibition in the Old Library at Magdalen College running from 16th October 2024- 16th April 2024
Edward went on to enjoy distinguished careers both as a politician and as a childrenâs author. His book, 'Crackers for Christmas', a collection of eight original fairy stories, is full of ârepulsiveâ ogres and sneaky witches to frighten you on a winterâs evening #Magdvent đ§”2/2
ALT Advent calendar with seventeen âwindowsâ open.
ALT Title page of âCrackers for Christmas: more storiesâ by Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen, featuring an illustration of a witch riding a broomstick. The reference for the book is Magd. KNAT-E (CRA) (res.)
Did you know that one of Jane Austenâs great-nephews studied at Magdalen? We were excited to discover that Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen, son of Austenâs favourite niece Fanny Knight, resided here as a âgentleman commonerâ (self-funded scholar) between 1847 and 1851. #Magdvent đ§”1/2
ALT Advent calendar with seventeen âwindowsâ open.
ALT Title page of âCrackers for Christmas: more storiesâ by Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen, featuring an illustration of a witch riding a broomstick. The reference for the book is Magd. KNAT-E (CRA) (res.)
Behind todayâs #Magdvent window is⊠a quote from our favourite alum, Oscar Wilde. Weâre very glad we havenât got Oscar in Secret Santa! #WeeklyWildeWitticism
ALT Advent calendar with fifteen âwindowsâ open.
ALT Statue of Oscar Wilde in Dublin. A Santa hat has been photoshopped on Oscar's head. At the bottom a quote from Wilde reads: âI have very simple tastes, I am always satisfied with the very best.â
Behind today's #Magdvent window is... a Christmas Reading List. Put together by our lovely Assistant Librarian, Abby, there's poetry, ghost stories, mysteries, and romance â something for everybody. What are you reading during this festive period?
ALT Advent calendar with fourteen âwindowsâ open.
ALT Light blue square with text reading: Christmas Reading List. Two cartoon Christmas trees make up the right hand side of the square.
Reading list is as follows:
· Midwinter Murder by Agatha Christie
· Make the Season Brightby Ashley Herring Blake
· Hogfather (Discworld series) by Terry Pratchett
· Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
· A Poem for Every Day of Christmas edited by Allie Esiri
ALT Light blue square with text reading: Christmas Reading List. Two cartoon Christmas trees make up the right hand side of the square.
Reading list is as follows:
· The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights by Various Authors
· You're a Mean One Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky
· Letters from Father Christmas by J. R. R. Tolkien
· Christmas is All Around by Martha Waters
· The Cat of Yule Cottage by Lili Hayward
Behind todayâs #Magdvent window is⊠The White Witch from Narnia. We know the witch is evil because she âmade it always winter and never Christmas.â You can find out more about the magical world of Narnia, and the man who created it, here: cslewiswordsandworlds.magd.oâŠ
ALT Advent calendar with thirteen âwindowsâ open.
Behind todayâs window is⊠a snowy Longwall Library! The Longwall is the College's main library and it has roughly 100,000 books in circulation. It's always a hive of activity for Magdalen students & staff â definitely worthy of a spot in our #Magdvent calendar.
ALT Advent calendar with twelve âwindowsâ open.
ALT
Photograph of the Longwall Library, on a snowy day, its roof covered with a light dusting of snow. In the foreground, a small snowman has been built on one of the tables in the library courtyard.
ALT Longwall Quad in the snow, with the Library in the background. The lawn is covered in snow.
Behind todayâs #Magdvent window is⊠another window! This window is from Oscar Wilde's student rooms. On it, he scratched a drawing of his friend, William Ward, who he nicknamed âLittle Mr Bouncer.â See it in Magdalen's Wilde, an exhibition in our Old Library open TODAY 2-4:30pm.
ALT Advent calendar with eleven âwindowsâ open. Behind the 11th window is a poster advertising Magdalenâs Wilde: an exhibition in the Old Library
ALT Pane of glass in a wooden frame. The pane has an image of a tree, a man, and a dog on it, along with the words Little Mr Bouncer. This was done by Oscar Wilde.
ALT Poster advertising Magdalen's Wilde, an exhibition in the Old Library at Magdalen College running from 16th October 2024- 16th April 2025
But itâs always exciting to discover a female name in the mostly male history of book ownership.
The Bible was bequeathed to Magdalen by alumnus Robert Hall. We are very grateful to Robert and to all the donors who have so kindly helped to build our libraries. #Magdvent đ§”3/3
ALT Advent calendar with ten âwindowsâ open.
ALT 8 volumes of old books on a shelf, arranged by size with the tallest on the left and shortest on the right. The reference for the smallest book, a copy of The Bible, is s.21.9