Magdalen College’s Old Library ranks among the most beautiful library spaces in Oxford. Built in the late 1400s but refurbished in 1820, it boasts tall wooden bookcases decorated with grotesque carvings, a fine collection of over 20,000 books, and the classic smell of old paper and bindings. The gold-embellished ceiling, rows of portraits, and medieval arched windows give an air of sophistication appropriate to the bishops, philosophers, authors and aristocrats who have studied here.
As you walk down the central aisle, you’ll notice a few curiosities. The brain-like object encased in glass is not (thankfully) a brain but the preserved hairpiece of a nineteenth-century College President, who loved to wear grey curly wigs long after they had gone out of fashion in Britain. The marble horse’s head on your right may look familiar – if it does, that’s because it’s a replica of one of the Elgin Marbles, sculpted from authentic Pentelic marble by the Institute for Digital Archaeology’s super-sized robot. Elsewhere, you’ll spot a telescope, a vintage card catalogue, and a pair of antlers that once belonged to a furry inhabitant of the College’s Deer Park.
Intriguing though these objects are, at the heart of the Old Library are the rare books and manuscripts. Almost all the volumes you see on the shelves were printed between the years 1500 and 1800. There are Bibles, histories, travelogues, medical texts, botanical compendia, great works of literature, musical scores, political treatises, and more. This multi-subject collection was first conceived as a resource for senior scholars only, but nowadays anybody from within or outside Magdalen is very welcome to access items of interest. Readers just need to check what’s available in the SOLO catalogue, email the Library staff to arrange an appointment, then bring along some photo ID on the day.
Parts of the collection extend beyond the 1500-1800 time period. Locked away extra-securely are over 200 medieval manuscripts, around 100 incunables (books printed before 1500), and (most spectacularly) some second-century papyrus fragments thought to be among the world’s oldest surviving extracts from the New Testament. At the other end of the historical spectrum, there’s a corner of the reading room housing shelves of twentieth- and twenty-first-century books on one of the College’s most famous alumni, T. E. Lawrence, alongside some gorgeous editions of the works of nineteenth-century alumnus Oscar Wilde.
This more “modern” end of the reading room also features display cases. A small, permanent display on T. E. Lawrence’s archaeological findings sits alongside a rotating programme of major public exhibitions. The programme started out with broad topics such as botanical illustrations and manuscript fragments, but now focusses in on distinguished individuals associated with the College. From 16th October 2024 until 16th April 2025, you’ll be able to view books, letters and artefacts relating to Oscar Wilde’s life and career. Highlights will include affectionate letters written during his time as a student, first editions of most of his literary works, a ring he gave to his best friend at Magdalen, and some rarely seen memorabilia specially loaned from private collectors. There’ll also be Wilde-themed talks and events you can sign up for.
And if you’re wondering what Magdalen’s students do when they need to access something a little more mainstream, like the latest edition of a maths textbook or Sally Rooney’s new novel? Magdalen has newer libraries too! The College site features a large, generalist borrowing library refurbished in 2016, a specialist law library, and two other subject-specific libraries bequeathed to the College by former tutors. These newer libraries are usually reserved for the College’s own members, who are incredibly lucky to live and work in such a bookish institution.
We are always keen to welcome anyone with an interest in the Old Library’s exhibitions and collections. Check below for the details you’ll need to plan a visit, and please don’t hesitate to email library.desk@magd.ox.ac.uk if you have any queries. We hope to see you in the Old Library soon!
Price: Free (but an entrance fee may apply for visiting other parts of the College)
Opening Times: Exhibitions are open on Wednesday afternoons, 2pm-4:30pm; there are occasional extra weekend openings for special events like Oxford Festival of the Arts and Oxford Open Doors; to visit outside these times, you’ll need to email library.desk@magd.ox.ac.uk to arrange an appointment
Best Way to Get There: Magdalen is centrally located, within 5-10 minutes’ walk of most other Oxford attractions; the Oxford Tube bus from London stops 5 minutes’ walk away at Queen’s Lane; the train station is around half an hour’s walk away or a short taxi ride
Accessibility: Usually accessed via a steep medieval staircase, but lift access can be booked in advance by emailing library.desk@magd.ox.ac.uk
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Jessica Woodward is the Special Collections Librarian at Magdalen College.