Special Collections

The Library’s Special Collections are made up of c.65,000 items comprising a variety of material, including early printed books, medieval and modern manuscripts, and a collection of architectural drawings by Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor.

The collections encompass a diverse range of subjects, and are subsequently of scholarly interest to the global academic community.

Since the foundation of the College in 1438 there have been books at All Souls. Over the centuries, active collection and purchasing activities by the College, in addition to various donations and bequests, have helped to make the All Souls College Special Collections a rich and varied resource. Particular subject strengths include:

Roman and canon law
Theology
Medical and scientific works
Travel literature
Architecture
Classics
Philosophy
Literature

The size of the Library’s Special Collections also means that there is plenty of material relevant to researchers studying book history and the materiality of the book. Please see ‘How to access the catalogues’ below for more information on where to find Library holdings.

Collections of note

Due to the way in which material was historically collected and housed in the Library, the majority of the Library’s Special Collections are considered as one large entity. However, there are a few separate collections which have remained distinct since coming to the Library, and which may be of specific interest to researchers:

The Sparrow Collection

The bequest of book collector and bibliophile John Sparrow (Warden of All Souls College, 1952-1977) contains around 4,000 early printed books, pamphlets and modern items, chiefly in the fields of neo-Latin poetry, epigraphy and epigrams. The collection is rich in rare and obscure titles; notable bindings, both English and continental; and association copies.

The Wynne manuscripts (MSS 201-275)

Donated in 1786 by Luttrell Wynne, these contain a collection of parliamentary journals, and state and other papers amassed by Narcissus Luttrell and Owen Wynne.

Persian manuscripts

A collection of around 45 Persian manuscripts, including two richly illustrated versions of the Shahnameh by Ferdowsi (MS 288 and MS 289). These manuscripts came to the Library in various ways, with MSS 366-392 being formerly owned by Colonel Mark Wilks, and donated to the Library in 1851 by his daughter, Lady Laura Buchan. The Library’s Persian manuscripts are in the process of being catalogued in TEI.

Fellows’ pamphlets

A collection of lectures, offprints, memorial addresses, and other articles written by Fellows of the College, which date mainly from 1900 to the present. A full listing is available in the Library.

How to access the catalogues

There are several different catalogues for the Library's Special Collections, depending on the type of material. Please note that not all of the Library’s material has been catalogued, and not all the catalogues are available online. If you cannot locate an item you believe to be held in the All Souls College Library, please email Library staff with your query.

Early printed books

A large proportion of the Library’s early printed books (printed before 1850) have been catalogued on SOLO. Most records include both full bibliographical description and copy-specific information (including notes relating to imperfections, binding descriptions, and provenance information). Please be aware that not all records include full notes. The Library retains finding aids for the material not yet catalogued electronically; please email with any queries.

A limited number of the Library’s early printed books have been digitized. These can be viewed via the Library's digital resources site.

Manuscripts

The manuscripts of All Souls College Library have been listed across several different catalogues and an in-house, unpublished handlist:

Online Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Library of All Souls College
An online catalogue comprising both the Coxe catalogue (number 2 below) and the in-house handlist, with corresponding links to an online version of the Watson catalogue (number 3 below). Lists MS 1-MS 443, and the Warden’s manuscripts (WMS).
“Coxe Catalogue”: Coxe, H.O., Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Library of All Souls College (Oxford, 1842).
Includes all manuscripts up to MS 296, and which were acquired prior to 1874 when the catalogue was published. An online version is available via the Internet Archive, as well as on the Online Catalogue above.
Watson, Andrew G., A Descriptive Catalogue of the Medieval Manuscripts of All Souls College, Oxford. (Oxford, 1997)
A full catalogue of the Library’s manuscripts pre-dating 1550, including descriptions of content and structure, as well as history, bindings and provenance information.

A limited number of manuscripts have been digitized and images can be viewed via the Library's digital resources site.

Wren and Hawksmoor drawings

An online catalogue of the drawings of Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor held by All Souls College, with digitized versions of each drawing, is available on the Library’s digital resources site.

This catalogue comprises an online version of Anthony Geraghty, The Architectural Drawings of Sir Christopher Wren at All Souls College, Oxford: A Complete Catalogue (Aldershot: Lund Humphries, 2008), and the images provided by the Digital Bodleian linked from the appropriate catalogue entry.

All researchers are asked to use the digital versions of the drawings for their research. Physical consultation is only granted in special circumstances, and a strong case must be made for why the digital surrogates do not fulfil research requirements.

Images for private use may be downloaded from the Digital Bodleian site either as complete images (medium resolution), or, for selected details, in higher resolution.

For complete images in high resolution, whether for private use or publication, please complete the Library’s Image Request Form.

How to visit

Special collections material can be consulted under invigilation in the Library by prior appointment. To arrange an appointment, please email the Library with the bibliographic information for the material you would like to see (including title and shelfmark, and SOLO permalink if applicable), and your availability. Please note that in-person appointments require a minimum of two weeks’ advance notice, and, depending on the complexity of the request, may require longer. All appointments are subject to the availability and condition of requested material.

You do not need to be a Library Reader in order to access this material.

If you have any accessibility requirements, please see the Facilities & accessibility page for more information ahead of your visit.

Photography and image requests

Researchers consulting Special Collections material are permitted to take their own photographs for personal use in most cases, provided it is safe for the material. However, the Library also offers a free imaging service for Special Collections. Images can be requested by using the Library’s online form, by emailing the Library, or via a paper form during a visit. In particular, we ask you to take advantage of this service rather than use personal photography for publication purposes.

Please allow at least two weeks for a request to be processed, and note that all image requests are subject to the material being in a suitable condition for digitization.

Material which has already been fully digitised can be found on the Library’s digital resources site. These images can be freely reproduced with attribution to the College unless otherwise noted.

Contacts

General enquiries about Special Collections material held by All Souls College Library can be sent to special.collections@all-souls.ox.ac.uk.