Blog Post
'John le Carré: Tradecraft' Displays Lincoln College Archives
Dr Alison Ray
Archivist
Letter from David Cornwell to Rector Keith Murray, dated 20 May 1952
A term report on David Cornwell, dated Hilary Term 1953
Opening page of the 1953 Hilary Term Lincoln Imp with dancing impish figures by Cornwell
Caricature by Cornwell of Rector Keith Murray, Fellow Wallace Robson and Vivian Green as Chaplain, from the 1953 Hilary Term Lincoln Imp
Portrait photograph of Vivian H.H. Green, former Fellow and Rector of Lincoln College
Illustration of ‘the Woodcutter’ for Vivian Green’s unpublished children’s story The Bears of the Big Mountain, dated c. 1954
Scenery illustration for Vivian Green’s unpublished children’s story The Bears of the Big Mountain, dated c. 1954
Reference written for David Cornwell by Vivian Green, dated 21 October 1954
The John le Carré: Tradecraft exhibition is now open at the Bodleian Library and we are delighted to have loaned materials from the Lincoln College Archives to this special display celebrating David Cornwell’s life and career. Co-curated by Professor Federico Varese and Dr Jessica Douthwaite, the exhibition highlights the author’s creative process, featuring research, drafts, and corrections for his novels including Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Constant Gardener, as well as non-fiction, and adaptations, as well as personal correspondence.
The exhibition further explores Cornwell’s time as a student at Lincoln College and his close relationship with former Fellow and Rector Vivian H.H. Green, the part-inspiration for the iconic character of George Smiley. Lincoln has loaned materials highlighting this period in Oxford, that begins with a letter dated 20 May 1952 in which Cornwell expresses his thanks to Rector Keith Murray for his offer of a place at Lincoln for Michaelmas that year. A second item is a term report from Hilary Term 1953, recording ‘Mr Cornwell has done his medieval texts very intelligently. He must make more of his facts.’ He was additionally a talented artist, producing amusing sketches and illustrations in the Lincoln Imp student magazine, featuring a caricature in the 1953 issue of Rector Murray, Fellow Wallace Robson and Vivian Green as Chaplain.
Other items showcase Cornwell’s deep friendship with Green, such as illustrations that he created for Green’s unpublished children’s story, The Bears of the Big Mountain, dated c. 1954. Finally, their relationship is outlined clearly in Green’s academic reference for David Cornwell dated 21 October 1954. Green first met Cornwell as his teacher at Sherborne School, and they remained friends throughout their lives until Green’s death in 2005.
John le Carré: Tradecraft runs from now until 6 April 2025 in the Weston Library: Find out more.
Upcoming Lincoln talk
To mark the exhibition, Dr Jessica Douthwaite will deliver a special lecture for the College’s Lincoln Unlocked series on 4 November 2025, entitled ‘He must make more of his facts: John le Carré at Oxford and beyond’. Further details and booking information can be found HERE.