Visiting the Radcliffe Camera in Oxford

Physician John Radcliffe died in 1714, leaving £40,000 in his will for the construction of a new library in Oxford and ongoing funds for its maintenance and acquisitions.

Construction of the Radcliffe Camera officially commenced on 17 May 1737, when the foundation stone was laid.

Following over a decade of construction and planning, the building structure was fully completed in 1748.

The Radcliffe Camera was officially opened to the public on 13 April 1749, following a delay of about a year due to local disturbances.

Architect James Gibbs designed the library in the Baroque style, specifically the English Palladian style, and was appointed to supervise the building process following the death of Nicholas Hawksmoor.

In 1811, the library's intake was restricted to scientific works, marking a new phase under librarian George Williams, who curated the collection to prioritize academic rigor in the sciences.

Following the decision to convert the building into a reading room, significant structural changes were made in 1863, including glazing the formerly open ground-floor arcade and constructing a new entrance.

On 23 October 1861, keys were handed to Bodley's Librarian, beginning the integration of the Radcliffe Library building as a reading room for the Bodleian library system.

An underground two-floor book store was constructed between 1909 and 1912, connecting the Radcliffe Camera to the main Bodleian Library via a tunnel.

The underground book store space, formerly known as the Radcliffe Link, underwent a major refurbishment to become a reading room, completed in 2011.