Christ Church’s 86 Greek manuscripts came to the college as part of the bequest of Archbishop William Wake in 1737. Dating from the ninth to the eighteenth centuries, the collection is biblical, liturgical and theological in content, but also comprises medical and mathematical works. Viewed as a whole, this important collection bears witness to the enduring legacy of classical and Byzantine Greek culture and the lasting importance of Greek scholarship in Oxford. The College’s collection also advances our knowledge about the collecting and studying of Greek manuscripts in western Europe during periods of major political and ecclesiastical changes in Europe and the Middle East.

Thanks to the high quality of materials of construction, the Greek manuscripts have survived in relatively good condition considering their great age and use. Happily, they have little in the way of inherently poor materials which might cause deterioration, although the manuscripts show the effects of contact with water, mould, rodents, and other ‘agents of change’ to which library materials are subject over the years. For this reason and with a view to stabilising the collection for continued use and access in the future, College Librarian, Gabriel Sewell, has commissioned a condition survey with a view to fundraising for conservation treatment, boxing, and stabilisation. The survey has been funded through the generosity of Old Members.

A full report of this important manuscript collection is available here. 

The survey has only just begun, but already a picture of the collection is taking shape which will help with prioritisation of conservation treatment for which funding will be sought in due course. The Library and College are to be congratulated on taking steps to ensure the long-term preservation of an internationally important manuscript collection, thanks to the crucial generosity of Old Members.

Jane Eagan ACR FIIC, book conservator and retired Head of Conservation of the Oxford Conservation Consortium.