Sir Roy Strong. © Bodleian Library
The celebrated writer, broadcaster and former museum director Sir Roy Strong has announced that he will donate a wealth of personal material to Oxford University.
The treasure trove of letters, book manuscripts and diaries spans his career from 1937, when he became the youngest ever director of the National Portrait Gallery.
It chronicles his subsequent role as head of the Victoria and Albert Museum, his writings on British art, culture and history, and also his personal life – including correspondence with his wife, designer Julia Trevelyan, and royals including the Queen Mother and Prince Charles.
"I'm happy that this material is going to such a good home," he said. "At 74 you can't leave decisions like this any longer."
Self-portrait, aged 12. © Bodleian Library.
Dr Sarah Thomas, from the Bodleian Library at the University, predicted the collection would become "a major resource for generations of scholars to come."
"The donation continues a tradition of generosity shown to the Bodleian by high-profile public figures who have chosen to gift their archives," she added.
"The archive is one of the most important acquisitions for the Library in recent times."
The garden archive, reportedly one of the most exceptional sections of the donation, charts the transformation of The Laskett in Cornwall from a disused field into one of the country's largest planned gardens under the ownership of Strong and his wife.
After being catalogued, the material will be released to researchers in the near future. A large public display is planned in the Bodleian's Old Library in Spring 2011.
