January 14, 2012Cambridge is the ultimate university town. It is full of history and discovery. I am fonder of Cambridge than Oxford because of my first visit back in my student days. At the time I was visiting my late friend Ann Kelley, who was in graduate school, and I happened to arrive on the evening of the Magdalene College May Ball. I had no ticket, no date, and no clothes fancier than a pair of jeans. In a matter of hours, however, I had a borrowed evening gown, purse, and shoes, and a plan that successfully allowed me to "crash" the ball and have the experience of a lifetime. Since then I have been to Cambridge once to give a lecture and once to find the Eagle Pub (more on that later).
Some notes about Cambridge: There are 31 colleges. Each college is an independent institution with its own assets and income. Teaching is shared between the colleges and the University departments. Women were not allowed to receive degrees until 1947! Three of the colleges are for women and two admit only graduate students. Trinity College (where my friend Ann went) is the wealthiest college in Cambridge, founded by Henry VIII. It is the brick buildings shown in the middle photos. In the 17th century, Trinity was the college of Sir Isaac Newton . There is an apple tree present (a descendant of the original tree in Lincolnshire) that inspired his work on gravity. The library was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and completed in 1690. It holds Newton’s Principia Mathematica along with a lock of his hair. Also on display is the manuscript for Winnie the Pooh, written by AA Milne. His son Christopher Robin studied here. (See what I mean about history and discovery?) The Round Church shown in the bottom photo was built in 1130. It is Cambridge’s second oldest building and one of only four round churches in England. It is based on the church of the resurrection that was consecrated in Jerusalem in 335 over the site at which Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The Grasshopper Clock is a relatively new (2008) landmark on the main street (King's Parade). It was conceived and funded by John C. Taylor, who attended Corpus Christi College. The Corpus Clock Project took five years, cost one million pounds, and involved 200 people, including engineers, sculptors, scientists, jewelers, and calligraphers. The clock's mechanism apparently incorporated six new patented inventions.
Some notes about Cambridge: There are 31 colleges. Each college is an independent institution with its own assets and income. Teaching is shared between the colleges and the University departments. Women were not allowed to receive degrees until 1947! Three of the colleges are for women and two admit only graduate students. Trinity College (where my friend Ann went) is the wealthiest college in Cambridge, founded by Henry VIII. It is the brick buildings shown in the middle photos. In the 17th century, Trinity was the college of Sir Isaac Newton . There is an apple tree present (a descendant of the original tree in Lincolnshire) that inspired his work on gravity. The library was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and completed in 1690. It holds Newton’s Principia Mathematica along with a lock of his hair. Also on display is the manuscript for Winnie the Pooh, written by AA Milne. His son Christopher Robin studied here. (See what I mean about history and discovery?) The Round Church shown in the bottom photo was built in 1130. It is Cambridge’s second oldest building and one of only four round churches in England. It is based on the church of the resurrection that was consecrated in Jerusalem in 335 over the site at which Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The Grasshopper Clock is a relatively new (2008) landmark on the main street (King's Parade). It was conceived and funded by John C. Taylor, who attended Corpus Christi College. The Corpus Clock Project took five years, cost one million pounds, and involved 200 people, including engineers, sculptors, scientists, jewelers, and calligraphers. The clock's mechanism apparently incorporated six new patented inventions.
No comments:
Post a Comment