December 6, 2017
The Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College recently added more than 170 books, letters, and manuscripts to their archives. This new acquisition features items from British authors George MacDonald, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams, including 76 letters, 95 books, 4 manuscripts, and various other materials. All of these acquisitions were obtained from the personal collection of Brian and Sally Oxley and will remain intact at the Wade Center as the “Brian and Sally Oxley Collection.”
The collection includes George MacDonald’s original manuscript of his novel Alec Forbes, as well as previously unpublished letters from C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, George MacDonald, and Charles Williams, and many early editions of George MacDonald’s books that he inscribed to family and friends.
“We are deeply grateful to the Oxleys for their vision in gathering together these wonderful materials, and also for their generosity in making them available to the Wade Center. This new acquisition will be of genuine benefit to the scholars who research here as well as bring great enjoyment to our many museum visitors. The Oxley Collection is a significant enhancement to the Wade Center’s resources,” explained Marjorie Lamp Mead, Interim Wade Director.
Brian and Sally Oxley both grew up in Asia as children of missionaries. After Brian’s career in international business at ServiceMaster, the Oxleys turned their attention to filmmaking and preservation projects related to Christian storytelling. As part of that venture, the couple has amassed an impressive collection of of materials related to storytellers – including the seven Wade Center authors.
The Brian and Sally Oxley Collection will be available for archival research at the Wade Center. For more information and to schedule a research visit to the Wade Center, contact wade@wheaton.edu.