Cleary Fellowship - Collegiate Architecture at Oxford

Research in Oxford began as a chaotic mess. This may seem like a harsh description now that I completed the research, successfully, I might add. However, in an email I sent to a colleague at the beginning of my Oxford trip, my exact words were "chaos," "stressful tourists," and "sending thousands of emails to schedule visits."  Although I was tired upon arrival, after hours of plane and train travel, I visited the Bodleian Library to register for a reader's card. Because I was only recently aware of the exam term and the restricted access, I also spent that evening emailing approximately thirty Oxford colleges to inquire about admittance.

Bodleian Library, photo by Mary R. Springer, by permission of the University

Sending emails was only the beginning. Luckily, my hunch to include the fellowship application and letter of introduction from the Office of the President (at the University of Iowa) proved successful. Most Librarians or college administrators responded immediately and asked to schedule an appointment within the next week. Others simply stated that the college(s) was open to the public and asked if I needed anything from the Library.  There were a few that required more information about my research and allowed me access with restrictions, that is, only allowing me access to certain buildings, and in some cases, no photography.  Some scholars were incredibly interested in my research and asked to meet. This was the case of scholars like Louise Durning and Robin Darwall-Smith.  Only rarely was I met with impatience, and rightfully so due to the exam term. I attempted to be as accommodating as possible, and I worked around the schedules of my contacts.

Deane and Woodward, Museum of Natural History, photo by Mary R. Springer



Deane and Woodward, Museum of Natural History, photo by Mary R. Springer

Each day was exhausting. I woke up, checked my email, responded to contacts, made appointments, and visited about three to five colleges.  During the weekend, I visited the museums that were relevant to my research - e.g., Sheldonian, Natural Museum of History, Ashmolean, etc. The colleges and museums closed at around 5 or 6 PM. By then, I could walk no more. I usually skipped lunch and ate a filling dinner.  Before retiring to bed, I indexed the images, checked my email, and responded to more contacts.

Pembroke College, Oxford, photo by Mary R. Springer, by permission of the Master and Fellows of the College

Keble College, Oxford, photo by Mary R. Springer, by permission of the Master and Fellows of the College

Keble College, Oxford, photo by Mary R. Springer, by permission of the Master and Fellows of the College

University College, Oxford, photo by Mary R. Springer, by permission of the Master and Fellows of the College

Oriel College, Oxford, photo by Mary R. Springer, by permission of the Master and Fellows of the College

Balliol College, Oxford, photo by Mary R. Springer, by permission of the Master and Fellows of the College

At first, this schedule and process was exhausting and stressful. Addressing each email with the formality expected of a researcher at Oxford and Cambridge took time. I studied the responses of my contacts and aimed to write in a similar manner. Once I familiarized myself with responses to the same questions and such, the stress lessened.

It would be entirely impossible to explain everything I learned about my dissertation topic in short. What I found myself most interested in and what I found myself researching at each college was the state of the architecture during the early nineteenth century.   Important to my research are the trips taken by the patrons and architects during the great building and design periods of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and what would have influenced them specifically at Oxford or Cambridge.

 

Top to Bottom (left to right): Christ Church College Cathedral, Exeter College Chapel, Magdalen College Chapel, Oxford, photo by Mary R. Springer, by permission of the Masters and Fellows of the Colleges

I am still analyzing my field research at Oxford and Cambridge, and I am still processing the travel diaries and correspondence of patrons and architects. While my research trip succeeded in addressing important questions, it also opened up new avenues of investigation.  Also, while I was not intending to spend much time in the archives, many Librarians and Archivists offered resources about the architecture. I sincerely thank them for their efforts, as I would have not been successful without them.