There are probably more fine early (1850s) views of Oxford than any other city in the world. Academics, especially those with scientific leanings, would have been fascinated by the new science of photography and wanting to try their hand. To a lesser extent this is also true of Cambridge. Many superb views are not attributed but one excellent series on purple mounts, published by Spiers and Son of Oxford, is attributed to 'Philip H. Delamotte F.S.A., Joseph Cundall, and other excellent photographers'. Cundall was Delamotte's publisher and I am not sure what his photographic contribution to this series would have been. Many of this series are attributed to Delamotte who taught photography at the Photographic Institution in London and produced views of Crystal Palace, stereo dags and hyperstereos, and was also an accomplished artist - giving drawing lessons to the Royal Family. Stephen Thomson, that elusive photographer whose stereoviews of Alpine scenes surpassed even those of William England, also produced fine views although they are rare. Other excellent views have no attribution. We are pleased to be able to offer a comprehensive page of views of Oxford, many of which have superb contrast which makes them look rather dark when scanned.
We start with the Delamotte series which all have gold-blocked edges. The width varies by about a half inch but none are trimmed as they all retain their gold blocking both sides. The ones definately attributed to Delamotte are noted - the rest are probably by him and his name is mentioned on all. Most if not all have been taken with a single lens camera. Marks in corners are locating marks on the scanner and not damage.
After this
series the views are sorted by location.
'1. High Street Oxford'.
By Delamotte.
Condition 9 (couple of light
surface scratches).
Order #501.
Price $25.
'2. Magdalene College, Oxford'.
Identified as by Delamotte from an attributed version.
Condition 9.
Order #502.
Price $25.
'5. Christ Church, Canterbury
Gate'. By Delamotte and others.
Condition. Red stains on left
images, a few foxing spots on right image.
Order #503.
Price $12.
'13. New College, Oxford'.
By Delamotte.
Condition. Images 9. Light
staining to mount, front and back.
Order #504.
Price $25.
'14. Church of Saint Mary the
Virgin, Oxford'. By Delamotte and others.
Condition 8.
Order #505.
Price $22.
'20. Christ Church, Oxford'.
By Delamotte.
Condition 9.
Order #506.
Price $25.
'21. Entrance to Oxford from
the east. Magdalen Tower and Bridge'. By Delamotte and others.
Condition. White mark at left
of left image is loss.
Order #507.
Price $22.
l
'38. The Martyr's Memorial
from the west end of Balliol College'. By Delamotte and others.
Condition. Very light foxing
on right image.
Order #510.
Price $22.
'42. Part of Christ Church;
from the drawing room window of Canon Jelf'. By Delamotte and others.
Condition 9.
Order #511.
Price $28.
'43. Tower of Merton Chapel;
from the Fellows' Garden of Corpus Christi College'. By Delamotte
and others.
Condition 9.
Order #512.
Price $30.
'43. Front of Wadham College'.
By Delamotte and others.
Condition 8.
Order #513.
Price $22.
'47. Magdalen College; from
within the Cloister'. By Delamotte and others.
Condition. White marks on
extreme right and right bottom center are slight losses.
Order #514.
Price $22.
'50. Magdalene Tower; from
the garden of Merton College'. By Delamotte and others.
Condition. Small brown stain
in trees on left image. Fingerprint of processor on right image. Couple
of stains on the back.
Order #515.
Price $18.
'51. St Alban Hall, Oxford'.
By Delamotte and others.
Condition. Very slight foxing
at top of right image..
Order #516.
Price $25.
'56. Christ Church, Oxford,
West Front'. By Delamotte and others. Exceptionally clear.
Condition. Light foxing in
sky on both images.
Order #517.
Price $25.
1920s silver gelatin view by
Rotary on thin photographic paper. 'Oxford: View from Magdalene College'.
Condition 8.
Order #518.
Price $3.
Keystone. 1920s silver gelatin
view. 'Looking northeast from the River Cherwell to the tower of Magdalen
College, Oxford'. Full text description on back.
Condition 9 (couple of tiny
spots on left image).
Order #519.
Price $10.
For further
Magdalene College views please see further down the page.
'Christ Ch. Cathedral, Oxford'.
Condition 6 (slightly grubby)
Order #520.
Price $8.
'The Cathedral, Oxford'.
Condition 9
Order #521.
Price $10.
Oxford Illustrated by A.L.
Coke, published by F. Jones, London. 'Ch, Ch. The Cloisters'. (Christchurch).
Condition 8.
Order #522.
Price $12.
'??? Chapel, Oxford'.
Condition 8/9.
Order #523.
Price $10.
Underwood/Strohmeyer 'St Mary's
Church, Oxford'.
Condition. White mark at top
right of right image is slight loss.
Order #524.
Price $6.
1920s silver gelatin view by
Rotary on thin photographic paper. 'Oxford: St Mary's Porch'.
Condition 9/10.
Order #525.
Price $3.
'The Chancel, St Mary's Church,
Oxford'.
Condition 8.
Order #526.
Price $8.
'High Street Oxford'.
Condition 8
Order #527.
Price $18.
1920s silver gelatin view by
Rotary on thin photographic paper. 'Oxford: The Sheldonian Theatre'.
Condition 9.
Order #528.
Price $3.
Wheeler & Day, Oxford blindstamp.
Handwritten ' The Martyrs' Memorial, Oxford'.
Condition 6.
Order #529.
Price $10.
Handwritten ' The Martyrs'
Memorial, Oxford'.
Condition 8.
Order #530.
Price $15.
Handwritten 'Broad Walk,
Oxford'.
Condition 7.
Order #2591.
Price $6.
Handwritten 'The Broad
Walk, Oxford'.
Condition 8.
Order #2592.
Price $10.
'The Radcliffe Library, Oxford'.
Condition. Slight stain on
left image.
Order #2594.
Price $15.
Oxford Illustrated by A.L.
Coke, published by F. Jones, London. 'St Edmund's Hall.
Condition. Slightly light,
slight staining.
Order #2595.
Price $12.
'The Chapel, Merton, Oxford'.
Condition 6 (grubby sky).
Order #2596.
Price $8.
'Tower of Magdalene from Botanic
Gardens, Oxford'. White label 'Sold by H. Alden, Stationer and music seller,
35 Corn Market Street, Oxford'. This view is reversed - see the calotype
below taken by W. H. Fox Talbot on 30 July 1842.
Condition 7/8 but light marks
in sky.
Order #2598.
Price $10.
'Magdalene Tower Oxford from
Botanical Gardens'. Note second storey added to building after Fox Talbot's
1842 image.
Condition. Small V-shape gouge
at bottom of left image. Light stains.
Order #2599.
Price $10.
'Saint Mary Magdalene College,
Oxford, photographed by S. Thompson. Published by T. and G. Shrimpton,
Broad Street, Oxford'. Ex Treadwell Collection. Only five views of England
by Stephen Thompson are recorded by Treadwell - they are exceptionally
rare.
Condition 8.
Order #2600.
Price $28.
'Magdalene College, Oxford'.
Condition 7/8.
Order #2601.
Price $12.
'Magdalen College from within
the Cloisters'. Plus description on mauve label. Nice early view.
Condition 8.
Order #2602.
Price $12.
'Magdalene College, the Cloister
Tower'.
Condition 7.
Order #2603.
Price $12.
1920s silver gelatin view by
Rotary on thin photographic paper. 'Oxford: Magdalen College, Founder's
Tower'. A lesson on trimming your ivy!
Condition 9/10.
Order #2604.
Price $3.
'Magdalen College, Pugin's
Gate'. A nice small embossed seal attached to the back of this view. Built
in 1844, Pugin's Gate was pulled down around 1880 to make way for expansion.
1850s view.
Condition 9/10.
Order #2605.
Price $22.
'Magdalen College Oxford, Pugin's
Gate'.
Condition 7.
Order #2606.
Price $15.
'The New Buildings, Magdalen
Coll.'.
Condition 7.
Order #2607.
Price $12.
Hills and Saunders, Oxford
blindstamp. Handwritten 'Addison's Walk, Magdalen Coll., Oxford'.
Condition 7.
Order #2608.
Price $8.
'Oxford. Addison's Walk'.
Condition 9.
Order #2609.
Price $5.
'New College from the Garden,
Oxford'.
Condition 8.
Order #2610.
Price $15.
Handwritten 'New College Quadrangle,
Oxford'.
Condition 6 (slightly faded
and slightly blurred).
Order #2611.
Price $8.
'New Coll. Tower, Oxford'.
Condition 8.
Order #2612.
Price $15.
'New College Gateway, Oxford'.
Condition 7/8.
Order #2613.
Price $12.
'Cloisters, New Coll., Oxford'.
Condition. White mark at top
of right image is loss.
Order #2615.
Price $8.
'The Chapel, New College, Oxford'.
Condition 6/7 (slight scuffs
to mount).
Order #2616.
Price $6.
1920s silver gelatin view by
Rotary on thin photographic paper. 'Oxford: The President's House
and Chapel'.
Condition 9.
Order #2617.
Price $3.
'Trinity College Chapel, Oxford'.
Mechanically produced view.
Condition 7 (slight damage
to mount).
Order #2618.
Price $3.
'Clarenden ??? Theatre, Exeter
College, Oxford'. Note the Sheldonian on the left.
Condition 8.
Order #2619.
Price $18.
1920s silver gelatin view by
Rotary on thin photographic paper. 'Oxford: Exeter College Chapel'.
Condition 9.
Order #2620.
Price $3.
'Interior of Exeter Chapel,
Oxford'.
Condition 9.
Order #2621.
Price $12.
'Interior of Exeter Chapel,
Oxford'.
Condition 8.
Order #2622.
Price $12.
G.W. Wilson. 'No 1165. Exeter
College Oxford. Interior looking east'.
Condition 9.
Order #2623.
Price $12.
Untitled 1850s view of the
interior of Exeter Chapel, Oxford. Rare 1850s view by Hills (blindstamp)
before he took up partnership with Saunders.
Condition 8/9.
Order #2624.
Price $18.
Hills & Saunders, Oxford,
blindstamp. Blue label 'Exeter College, Oxford. A.D. 1314. Dated 1865.
Condition 7.
Order #2625.
Price $8.
'Balliol College and Broad
Street'.
Condition 7 (white marks on
left image are small losses).
Order #2626.
Price $12.
'Balliol College Chapel, Oxford'.
Condition 8.
Order #2627.
Price $12.
'Balliol College, Oxford'.
Condition 8.
Order #2628.
Price $15.
'Balliol College Hall, Oxford'.
Condition. Shadowing towards
center.
Order #2629.
Price $10.
'The Gardens, Balliol Coll.,
Oxford'. Blindstamp of Wheeler, 105 High Street, Oxford. Later in partnership
with Day.
Condition 8.
Order #2630.
Price $12.
1920s silver gelatin view by
Rotary on thin photographic paper. 'Oxford: Balliol College'.
Condition 9.
Order #8151.
Price $3.
1920s silver gelatin view by
Rotary on thin photographic paper. 'Oxford: Oriel College'.
Condition 8 (surface scratch
in sky area on right image).
Order #8152.
Price $2.
1920s silver gelatin view by
Rotary on thin photographic paper. 'Oxford: Brasenose College and
the Dome of the Camera Bodleiana'.
Condition 9.
Order #8153.
Price $3.
Small white label with fancy
border. 'Brazenose College, Oxford'.
Condition 7/8 with free spots
of Victorian fly poo in bottom right corner.
Order #8154.
Price $12.
'Corpus Christi College, Oxford'.
Condition 7/8.
Order #8156.
Price $12.
'St John's College, Oxford'.
Condition 8.
Order #8157.
Price $15.
'Wadham College, Oxford. Photographed
by S. Thompson. Published by T. and G. Shrimpton, Broad Street, Oxford'.
Added by hand 'Entrance to Chapel, "Front Quad". Another of the exceptionally
rare Stephen Thompson views of England - this one is dated 1860.
Condition 7/8.
Order #8160.
Price $28.
'Merton College, Oxford'.
Condition 7.
Order #8161.
Price $12.
'Chinese Towers, All Souls,
Oxford'.
Condition 8.
Order #8162.
Price $12.
'Queens Coll., Oxford'.
Condition 8.
Order #8163.
Price $18.
Untitled 1850s view by Hills
(blindstamp) before he took up partnership with Saunders.
Condition 8/9.
Order #8164.
Price $18.
Untitled 1850s view by Hills
(blindstamp) before he took up partnership with Saunders.
Condition 8.
Order #8165.
Price $12.
Handwritten on back 'Broughton
Castle'. This is near Banbury.
Condition 7/8.
Order #8168.
Price $12.
To views of Warwick and Stratford-on-Avon
To views of the West Midlands)
To views of Cambridge and Ely)