Query: Does anyone know where there might be a photo of Nirad Chaudhuri receiving an Honorary Doctorate either from the University of Oxford or from the University of Stirling?
– The Archives at the Bodleian Library (University of Oxford) has no such photo. N.B. They explain that “the University Archives looks after the historic administrative records of the University, and so we have very few photographs. I have carefully searched our catalogues which cover the few images of Encaenia and the awarding of honorary degrees that we hold. I am sorry, but none of them cover 1990.” The Bodleian has also kindly sent suggestions regarding which organisations might have such a photo, and those are being followed up, as you see below.
– Oxford University’s Public Affairs Directorate has been approached, and an update will be provided as soon as it is available.
– The Archives of the Oxford History Centre has no photos of him at all, even though he lived in Oxford from 1970 to his death in 1999, and there is a Blue Plaque at the house that was his residence for the last 17 years of his life – 20 Lathbury Road.
– The Oxford Mail – Oxford’s newspaper – which may have covered the event, does not reveal any evidence of having done so – at least according to a digital search at https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/. However, that search shows two stories of the Blue Plaque being installed at 20 Lathbury Road.
– There is no evidence of a photo of Nirad babu at all at https://newsquest.newsprints.co.uk/
– The Archives at Stirling University says: “We may have a copy of this photo (or other similar images) in our large collection of uncatalogued photographs of university events. If it is convenient for you to visit the campus you can search through these boxes for photos of Chaudhuri.”
Follow-up questions have been asked: (1) I wonder if the uncatalogued boxes of photos are organised by date, or by month, or year?; (2) How long do you think might be needed for a researcher to look through the relevant box(es) to identify most of the useful photos of Nirad Chaudhuri?; (3) Is there any indication, by each photo, of the name of the person who took the photo, or of who might own the intellectual property in each photo? Presumably, that would be the University, if the University paid the photographer for the purpose?
An update will be provided here as soon as it is available.
