William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne (1779-1848)

This painting hanging in the staircase-pavilion of the Wren Library is a copy of 1830 after Sir Thomas Lawrence's portrait in the National Portrait Gallery, London. It was painted at the time of Lamb's marriage to Lady Caroline Ponsonby in 1805. The marriage was unhappy, marred by infidelities on both sides, though most notoriously, Caroline's …

Happy New Year!

This year we will publish a series of short monthly blogs to highlight photographs from the College archives. For January we have chosen an atmospheric photograph of Frederick Arthur Simpson (1883-1974) crossing Great Court on New Year’s Day. Simpson’s memorial inscription in the college chapel describes him (in translation) as follows: A graduate of Oxford, …