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Past exhibitions

A list of other displays and exhibitions curated by Library and Archive Staff

Previous displays

Recurring exhibitions

The Library and Archives are often asked to put on displays and exhibitions for various college events and several of these happen every year:

  • Gaudies attended by alumnae from set year groups: these occur every Long Vacation and our displays feature publications by members of the attending year groups, as well as other items (eg. Matriculation photos) about their time at Somerville. All attendees are welcome to bring (or send in advance) any publications they would like displayed and/or to donate to the Library.
  • Reunions also attended by alumnae, but from individual years: we have not had many of these, but they occur every September and our displays include similar material to those for our Gaudy Exhibitions. All attendees are welcome (again) to bring or send in publications or other items that they would like displayed and/or to donate to the Library and Archives.
  • Other college events include Open days, Retirements, Commemorations, Oxford Open Doors days, Literary lunches and teas, Book launches, Tours, Arts weeks, Building openings, etc: whilst we do not always put on displays for these events, we have had several notable exhibitions displaying relevant books and other items from the college’s collections (some of which are listed in the chronological list of past exhibitions below).
  • John Stuart Mill Library events: since 2014 we have held Open Days, Teas, Seminars and Lectures, often supported by exhibitions in and from the collection.

Chronological list of other exhibitions (most recent first)

NB. This list is not exhaustive and will be added to and updated as we go through our files!

  • Somerville connections, September to November 2024. An interactive display of the many and varied connections of Somervillians past and present, curated by Kate O’Donnell, College Archivist.
  • Dorothy Hodgkin’s model of insulin, July to November 2024. Recent alumnus Mason Wakley reconstructed Hodgkin’s model of insulin using molecular kits donated by other alumni, and this small exhibition featured his model and images of and about Hodgkin and her work and awards.
  • Ornella Reni and other art from the college’s collections, July to September 2024. A small display of artworks by and of Ornella Reni, donated by alumna Rosemary Fitzgibbon, alongside a selection of small works from the College’s collection.
  • Fanchon Fröhlich (née Angst; 1927 – 2016), May to June 2024. Artist and CEO of BADA, Terry Duffy, curated an exhibition and gave a talk on alumna Fanchon Fröhlich, including her art, photographs and a portrait of her and catalogues of her oeuvre.
  • Somerville in film and fiction, February to May 2024. A brief look at portrayals of Somerville and Somervillians in works of fiction and on screen (including a disturbing number of Somervillian murder victims and a manga inspired by a mathematician).
  • Women Artists – sculptors Ulla and Ulla Margarethe Scholl, May 2023. Following the generous gift by alumna Rosemary Fitzgibbon, a display across Green Hall and the Library of works by German artists Ulla and Ulla Margarethe Scholl.
  • Somerville, women and sport, January 2023. Another in our string of exhibitions about the history of women’s education in Oxford, featuring photos and other material from the Archives.
  • Literary Tea, Nov. 2022. Alumna and Professor of Shakespeare Studies Emma Smith and Sir Simon Russell Beale discussed all things Shakespeare to mark the 400th anniversary of the publication of the First Folio. Our display for the event, which was also dedicated to Prof. Katherine Duncan-Jones, Fellow and Tutor in English at Somerville for 35 years who sadly passed away in October, featured our copies of the Second Folio, a handsomely bound facsimile copy of the same, given to the Library in memory of Edith Coombs, and other material written by Somervillians on Shakespeare.
  • Enid Starkie, January 2022. Exhibition in Green Hall about French scholar, former Somerville student, Fellow and tutor and Oxford eccentric Enid Starkie.
  • Henry Pelham anniversary, October 2021. A joint event with Trinity College on the occasion of the rededication of the gravestone of former President of Trinity and Somerville Council member Henry Pelham – our exhibition featured items relating to his support for women’s education, and for Somerville in particular.
  • College buildings and their names, October 2021. Exhibition in Green Hall explaining why our buildings are named as they are.
  • Shirley William, April 2021. An exhibition in Green Hall to mark the passing of Baroness Williams, and to accompany the college commemoration of her life and achievements.
  • Centenary of degrees for women, October 2020. To commemorate the giving of the first degrees to women in Oxford, a display of material from the archives was exhibited in Green Hall (displayed again in June 2021 for the visit of HRH Prince Charles).
  • Somerville scientists in sculpture, Green Hall exhibition, January 2020. An exhibition featuring four of the college’s sculptures of notable Somervillian scientists: Hodgkin, Vaughan, Somerville and Thatcher.
  • Elizabeth Anscombe Centenary Conference, September 2019. An exhibition of material relating to philosopher and Somervillian Elizabeth Anscombe, to mark 100 years since her birth.
  • Iris Murdoch, July 2019. To go alongside an event held jointly with St Anne’s, held in the New Council Room, we displayed archival material and several of our signed first editions of Murdoch’s works; several of these were republished by Vintage at the same time, and were also on display.
  • Legacy Lunch, May 2019. To support a crowdfunding project to purchase several more John Stuart Mill letters and a signed first edition Verses of a VAD by Vera Brittain, and some of her letters, there was a display of items purchased or conserved with the money raised in previous campaigns (in 2017 and 2018).
  • Armistice Day Centenary Event, November 2018. Throughout 2014-2018, the college archives were used for a number of events, displays and exhibitions relating to the Great War, and the role played in it by Somerville and Somervillians, including this exhibition commemorating Armistice Day.
  • Shirley Williams’ honorary degree, June 2017. Baroness Williams was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Civil Law at Encaenia for her distinguished career in both politics and academia, and the college held an event, which featured a library exhibition about her, her mother Vera Brittain, their achievements and long-standing connection with the college.
  • Vivien Noakes and Edward Lear, July 2016. Exhibition in support of the donation of Somervillian Noakes’ research archive, containing notes, letters and correspondence by and about Edward Lear.
  • Mary Somerville, the First Scientist? March 2016. Held in the John Stuart Mill Library and prompted by the Royal Bank of Scotland deciding to put Somerville on its new £10 note, this exhibition featured books and letters about Mary Somerville, the history of modern science and the naming of the college after her. Other Mary Somerville exhibitions (including to celebrate the release of the £10 note) were held in October 2019, August 2017 and March 2015.
  • Eleanor Rathbone Symposium, January 2016. To mark the 70th anniversary of Somerville’s first MP’s death, and celebrate the naming of a room in college after her, a symposium and exhibition were held, featuring books, documents and Phillip Garrett’s monumental bust of Rathbone.
  • Gifts and bequests, November 2015. To highlight the number of gifts that the library receives every year, we held a brief exhibition in the loggia of some library treasures that were donated to us, including recent volumes from the bequest of Prof. Anna Morpurgo Davies, Fellow 1971-2004, who had passed away in 2014.
  • Unencompassing the Archipelago Conference, November 2015. To support the event organized by English Fellow Prof. Fiona Stafford, the library displayed several works from our collections, including Wordsworth, Dr Syntax, A Journal of a Voyage to the South Seas, in His Majesty’s Ship, the Endeavour, and more modern works, including the art of Norman Ackroyd.
  • Ada Lovelace, October 2015. A portrait of Ada King, Countess of Lovelace owned by Somerville was restored in time to celebrate Ada Lovelace day on October 15: the painting now hangs by the issue desk in the Library and next to a portrait of her one time tutor Mary Somerville and the exhibition dealt with Lovelace and her work with and connections to Somerville and Charles Babbage, among others.
  • Penelope Fitzgerald, Eleanor Rathbone and Cicely Williams exhibitions, May to June 2015. Three separate exhibitions held in the loggia between May and June 2015, celebrating three notable Somervillians from the worlds of literature, politics and medicine.
  • Catherine Hughes Memorial Service, December 2014. An exhibition to accompany an event held in memory of Catherine Hughes, former Principal, who passed away earlier in the month.
  • Vera Brittain, November 2014 and 2013. Exhibitions to mark various anniversaries and featuring items from the Archives relating to Brittain, her family, the War and her writing.
  • Great War Roadshow, November 2014. As part of a European wide series to discuss and collect memories, information and artefacts relating to the Great War, Somerville hosted a large event and asked people to bring objects in to be recorded and to tell their stories.
  • 50 years of the Nobel Medal, October 2014. Symposium and exhibition about Dorothy Hodgkin, Somerville’s first Nobel laureate.
  • 20 years of co-residence, August 2014. Exhibition commemorating 20 years since the admission of male students.
  • Marjorie Boulton’s 90th birthday, May 2014. To celebrate Somervillian poet, writer and Esperantist Marjorie Boulton’s birthday.
  • Margaret Thatcher, April 2013. Following the death of the former Prime Minister, a display was put together about her time at and connection to Somerville.