Postcard from Oxford

This image laid buried for seven years among many I shot on a trip to Europe. It is the first time it has been seen by anyone, other than myself. This is the entrance to the Keble College Chapel. Keble is one of 38 colleges that comprise Oxford University. It is also one of the newer colleges, having only opened its doors in 1870.

You see, Oxford is a very old university, founded perhaps in 1096 (no one is sure of the exact date). It is the second oldest surviving university (the University of Paris is #1). The university really kicked into high gear around 1167 when King Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris. In 1209, after many disagreements between scholars and city residents, many academics moved further north to found Cambridge University.

So, looking at the dates, you can see Keble’s founding in 1870 is quite new. And, in fact, there are several newer colleges than Keble…and there is actually a college in Oxford called “New College.” It can’t be called really new as it was founded in 1379…but it is still called New College. You had to be there…

Of course, it was the light coming through the windows that caught my attention. It’s a lovely sight and I often wonder if the architect planned it this way to capture the afternoon light…the way the light leads you right to the chapel doors...and the patterns of light and shadow is just wonderful.

As if you could not guess, the original image was shot on film…slide film to be exact. Over time, you will see more and more of my best images from the days of film.

(To see a larger version of this photo, just click on the image)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com.

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