See below for some commonly asked questions about the collection. If the answer to your question is not here, please contact us for more information.
What is the relationship between OUP and Oxford University?
Oxford University Press is a department of Oxford University. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.
What is the Clarendon Press?
Oxford University Press came to be known as ‘The Clarendon Press’ when printing moved from the Sheldonian Theatre to the Clarendon Building on Broad Street in 1713. The name continued to be used when OUP moved to its present site in Oxford in 1830.
The label took on a new meaning when OUP began publishing books through its London office in the early twentieth century. To distinguish the two offices, London books were labelled Oxford University Press, while those from Oxford were labelled Clarendon Press. This ceased in the 1970s, when our London office closed, with the Clarendon Press imprint from that point being reserved for books of particular academic importance.
Do you have a complete catalogue of Oxford’s printing and publishing?
No comprehensive catalogue of Oxford’s printing and publishing exists. For books before 1680, Falconer Maddan’s Oxford Books (3 vols, Oxford, 1895–1931) is an essential reference. Our archive includes Oxford’s general catalogues from the 1920s onwards.
What can you tell me about an Oxford bible I own?
Oxford has printed the Authorized (or King James) Version of the Bible since 1675. Every copy carries a dedication to King James, whether published in the seventeenth century or today. Oxford’s Bibles have also carried Oxford University’s coat of arms. This shows three crowns around an open book, with the Latin motto Dominus Illuminatio Mea. Taken from the Book of Psalms, this means The Lord is My Light.
In addition, most title pages will carry information on the typeface used (for example, Minion 16mo) and the Latin phrase cum privilegio. This indicates that Oxford printed or published the Bible with privilege – that is, thanks to a royal grant. Oxford has had this privilege since the 1630s. There may also be information on the date printed and/or the name of the printer.
Can I tour OUP and the Archive?
Neither our Oxford office, nor the Archive itself, are open to the general public. There is also no printing to see. The Press has not printed books on this site since 1989. If you would like to visit, you can book a tour of our museum here, or if you wish to conduct research, you can contact us here to arrange a research visit to look at the materials in our collections.
Can you help me research my family history?
Despite the depth of the collection, there are very few records for this area of research before the twentieth century. A few Victorian photographs survive, but there is virtually no traceable information on the hundreds of print shop workers employed by OUP before the First World War. After 1918, staff magazines offer appreciations on retirement, obituary notices, and often photographs. There are also records of the various clubs at the Press, as well as its Fire Brigade.
