Unseen photo of Oscar Wilde as a student sells for £5,300

A newly discovered photograph of Oscar Wilde during his time studying at the University of Oxford has has sold for more than £5,000. Dating from 1876, the image in a Victorian photo album shows Wilde in a group photo taken alongside his fellow students in the cloisters of Magdalen College. After his time in Oxford, the Irish author would go on to become a literary giant of the late 19th and early 20th centuries - with masterpieces including The Picture of Dorian Grey still adorning bookshelves across the globe. The newly uncovered image is part of a collection that went under the hammer at Cirencester-based auction house Dominic Winter Auctioneers on Wednesday. The photo album - which features 90 miscellaneous photographs, including the image of Wilde - fetched £5,308, more than auctioneers had estimated. Wilde arrived at Oxford as an undergraduate in 1874 and graduated four years later, by which time he had become one of the city's most recognisable figures. The image shows 50 men loosely arranged in three rows, with most wearing suits and either boaters, boards or bowler hats. He can be seen fifth from the left in the middle row - alongside his close circle of friends at the time

May 20, 2026 → May 25, 2026