Guide to the Oxford University Press Museum

The Oxford University Press was officially granted the legal right to print books by a decree in 1586, solidifying its role as the publishing arm of the University of Oxford.

Oxford's Great Charter, obtained in 1636, provided the university with the legal right to print all manner of books, enabling it to compete with the Stationers' Company and the King's Printer.

Following the English Civil War, Vice-chancellor John Fell took the initiative to install printing presses at the university in 1668, creating its first central print shop.

The press began producing the broadsheet calendar known as the Oxford Almanack in 1674, which continued its annual publication without interruption until 2019.

The University purchased land on Walton Street in 1825 and subsequently moved the press operations into newly constructed buildings in 1830, where it remains located.

The press took on the massive undertaking of the Oxford English Dictionary in 1879, which eventually began appearing in print in 1884, though the first edition was not completed until 1928.

In 1884, the Delegates of the Press bought back the remaining outstanding shares in the business, completing the transition to full ownership by the University of Oxford.

Oxford University Press established its dedicated Music Department in 1923, marked by the acquisition of the Anglo-French Music Company to secure its facilities and resources.