There was a strong dramatic tradition at Somerville in the first half of the twentieth century with plays being written and performed in College most years. In its dramatic heyday, the College could boast a Second Year play in Michaelmas Term, a First Year play in Hilary and The Going Down Play (by the finalists) in Trinity. This scene is taken… Read More »Twelfth Night
An unremarkable view of House, at first glance, taken in high summer. But instead of a student wheeling her bicycle on the right, it’s an injured soldier in his Bath Chair, and hospital beds have been placed in the shade of the tree. This is from a postcard series of ‘No.965 Somerville Section 3rd Southern General Hospital’, issued after the College was… Read More »Somerville Section – 3rd Southern General Hospital 1914-18
In this group from 1891, Miss Maitland the Principal (with dark bonnet) is surrounded by her staff and students, including future principal Emily Penrose (3rd from the right in the 3rd row), pioneering Indian lawyer Cornelia Sorabji (far left end of the second row from the front) Indian princesses Bamba and Catherine Duleep Singh (front row far left) and Clara Pater… Read More »Two Principals, two princesses and a pioneering Indian lawyer
A group of tutors and students from 1921 under the Principalship of Emily Penrose (seated in the second row from the front directly under the central pillar). Sitting next to Miss Penrose is Professor Gilbert Murray, noted Classical scholar, internationalist and strong supporter of women’s higher education. He was a member of the Somerville Council from 1908 to 1957 and chaired the Library Committee… Read More »1921 Group with Professor Gilbert Murray
A group of Somervillians and friends enjoying a day out on the river c 1925. Picture supplied by Edith Standen (1923). Any identifications gratefully accepted! Back to Snippets from the Archives
Hilda Lorimer – Classics Tutor at Somerville 1896-1934. Like many of her colleagues, Miss Lorimer divided her time during the First World War between teaching at Oxford and helping with the war effort. Here she is pictured in the uniform of the Scottish Women’s Hospital Service. She worked for them during the long vacations of 1917 and 1918 in Salonika.… Read More »Somervillians in the First World War
Several publicity shots were taken of Somerville life and buildings in about 1933. Here is a scene of two young ladies relaxing in a room at Somerville – perhaps one of the newly built rooms in East Quad (later renamed Darbishire) ? Does anyone recognise it as their room? Back to Snippets from the Archives
Winifred Holtby came to Somerville in 1917 following a period of service in France in the First World War. It was at Somerville that she met Vera Brittain (1914 – author of Testament of Youth) and after an initial period of antagonism (fictionalised in Brittain’s first novel The Dark Tide) the two became close friends and after graduating they moved to London together… Read More »Winifred Holtby and South Riding
Mary Ward (also known as Mrs Humphry Ward) was a well-known novelist in the late nineteenth century who was instrumental in the foundation of Somerville in 1879. She was the first secretary of the Somerville Council (a position jointly held with Mrs Vernon Harcourt) and worked tirelessly, preparing for the arrival of new students. It was Mary Ward who suggested… Read More »Mrs Humphry Ward
Maude Clarke was a tutor in history at Somerville from 1919 till her early death in 1935. A noted medievalist in a still largely male academic world, she published important and sometimes controversial work on fourteenth century England with a particular focus on constitutional history. We have eight of her publications in the College library but many more books that she… Read More »Maude Clarke