[ROWING; OXFORD UNIVERSITY] The Queen’s “Torpid”, 1879.

Albumen print photograph, in very large format 210 x 267 mm, unmounted; verso with period inscription in pencil: ‘Queens Torpid / 1879’ and negative number ‘30,739’; the print has excellent clarity and tonal range, and apart from some fading around the edges is in fine condition.

A significantly early – and quite possibly unique – Queen’s College rowing team portrait photograph. 

The Oxford college second crews were first given their own rowing event in 1838. It was dubbed ‘Torpids’, the name chosen to reflect the fact that these boats were slower than the college Eights. Torpids became a series of bumping races for eight-oared rowing boats held on the Isis in Lent (Hilary) term. It is an event which is still held annually.

The 1879 Torpids were won by Keble, with Queen’s finishing in ninth place overall, out of the twenty competing colleges.