Winifred Holtby (1898-1935) was a novelist, journalist, feminist and campaigner. She came from a farming family in the East Riding of Yorkshire and her mother was the first women to serve on the East Riding County Council. Winifred Holtby came up to Somerville in 1917 to read Modern History but took a leave of absence towards the end of her first year to serve with the Women’s Army Auxiliary… Read More »Winifred Holtby Collection
Vivien Noakes (1937-2011) was an authority on Edward Lear and published her seminal biography Edward Lear, the Life of Wanderer in 1968. During the course of her exhaustive research into Lear, his life and his work, Vivien Noakes compiled a collection of over 1500 facsimiles of letters mostly written by Lear, some written to him, the originals of which are located around the world in over 100 different public and private collections. She subsequently published… Read More »Vivien Noakes Research Archive
Provenance The collection was given to the college by Mill’s stepdaughter, Helen Taylor, in 1906. The donation was suggested by John Morley, MP, and negotiated on Helen Taylor’s behalf by her niece, Mary Taylor. For a detailed explanation of the collection, the research that it supports, how to access the collection and links to other useful resources, visit the dedicated John… Read More »John Stuart Mill Library
The Library has a substantial collection of the literary and research outputs of Somervillians (current and past) fondly (if unofficially) referred to as the Old Somervillians Collection. To maintain a current and thriving collection of monographs, we welcome donations from Somervillian authors. Volumes cited in undergraduate reading lists, or which support the studies of our students, we will also purchase.… Read More »Old Somervillians Collection
Ethel A Jones Peter Greenham, (1909–1992) Date: Unknown Medium: Oil on Canvas Donor: Unknown About the sitter Ethel Jones originally studied at Somerville from 1900 to 1903. She later held the Mary Somerville Research Fellowship. (Somerville for Women p94: Re WWI: ‘College raised a subscription to enable the Mary Somerville research fellow, Ethel Jones, to undertake a short training at… Read More »Ethel A Jones
Daphne Park Henry Mee, (1955-) Date: 2009 Medium: Oil on canvas Donor: The artist in 2009 About the sitter Daphne Park (1921–2010); Principal 1980–89. Came to Somerville in 1940 to read French. Worked for the SOE in WWII; eventually became a senior MI6 controller in Hanoi, Moscow, the Congo and Zambia. She achieved the rank of Controller Western Hemisphere in… Read More »Daphne Park
[Need image] Vera Farnell Hubert Andrew Freeth, (1912–1986) Date: 1951 Medium: Chalk Donor: By subscription in 1952 About the sitter Vera Farnell originally studied French at Somerville (1911–14). She later became Tutor in English and French. She held many College offices during her long association with Somerville, including that of Principal’s Secretary under Emily Penrose, later becoming Librarian, and Somerville’s… Read More »Vera Farnell
[Need image] Hilda Lockhart Lorimer James Arden Grant, (1887–1973) Date: 1958 Medium: Chalk Donor: Vera Brittain About the sitter Vera Brittain described Miss Lorimer as ‘one of the most brilliantly eccentric of women dons.’ A Scot who came to Somerville from Girton, Cambridge in 1896, she was a classicist and keen ornithologist. Principal’s Secretary Hilda Bryant recollected: ‘Miss Lorimer often… Read More »Hilda Lockhart Lorimer
Mary Somerville in classical attire Lawrence MacDonald (1799–1878) Date: 1844 Medium: Marble Donor: Major Fairfax-Lucy, 1961 Made in Rome in 1844, this work follows the classicising trend of sculpture at the time: the treatment was very smooth and subjects were depicted wearing classical garments including togas or laurel wreaths. Jacob Epstein’s 1932 First Portrait of Louise near the dining hall… Read More »Mary Somerville, 1844
Self-portrait, seated in an armchair writing Mary Somerville, ‘with the help of the engraver, Mr Dick.’ Date: Unknown Medium: Oil on panel Donor: Lt Col J Ramsay Fairfax, 1958 Mary Somerville attended the Edinburgh academy of painter Alexander Nasmyth, which he had opened to ladies. With interests in architecture and engineering as well as portrait and landscape painting, Nasmyth placed… Read More »Self-portrait