According to the Oxford English Dictionary an almanac is ‘an annual table, or (more usually) a book of tables, containing a calendar of months and days, with astronomical data and calculations, ecclesiastical and other anniversaries, besides other useful information’. Almanacs have been produced since the thirteenth century but their popularity increased in the 1500-1600s. The Oxford Almanack was first produced as a book in 1673 and then an illustrated broadsheet in 1674, and the unusual spelling comes from the typical spelling of the time. The series then ran as a broadsheet from 1676 until its discontinuation in 2019.
The initial broadsheet of 1674 was an ambitious work measuring 39×30” which took four copper plates to print. The illustration was by Robert Streeter, who had recently painted the ceiling in the Sheldonian Theatre, and it depicted a classical scene with the calendar and tables inserted within the drawing. The following year, Oxford University was granted the concession to print a one-sheet almanac every year, with the calendar reproduced beneath an image. The series began properly in 1676, with the Almanack reduced in size, and a peak in sales came in 1717 when 10,112 copies were sold. In its early years it was also printed on silk to be sold as a handkerchief.
The style of each Oxford Almanack is illustrative of the history of the period. For the first fifty years the Almanacks featured allegorical images, often highlighting the University’s allegiance to the Crown and Church. Until 1724 the Almanacks were engraved by Michael Burghers, engraver to the University, but he was replaced by George Virtue who favoured topographical views. This period was one of great wealth for the University and many of the colleges were involved in rebuilding or enlarging their property. Several of the Almanacks show designs for these new buildings. Allegorical subjects re-emerged in the mid-eighteenth century but the reign of George III witnessed a new aristocracy more interested in nature. During this period, the employment of artists such as Malchair, the Rookers, and J.M.W. Turner brought artistic views of the city to the Almanacks.
The change in technology over the past 300 years can be seen in the processes used to create the Oxford Almanacks. Originally produced using copper engravings, steel became the norm around the mid-nineteenth century. Towards the end of the century early photographic processes such as Woodburytype and autotype came into use, as did etching. The first half of the twentieth century saw collotype and colour collotype being used as well as photography, and, since 1946, lithography.
The archive holds approximately 160 of the original printing plates for the Almanacks and is also home to one of the very few complete collections of the prints. A recent cataloguing project has seen the collection fully listed for the first time.
