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Dulwich College
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Dulwich College is a selective independent school for boys in Dulwich, a suburb of south-east London, United Kingdom. The College was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1500 boys, of whom 120 are boarders. This makes it one of the largest (in terms of numbers of pupils) independent schools in the UK.
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Dulwich College is a selective independent school for boys in Dulwich, a suburb of south-east London, United Kingdom. The College was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1500 boys, of whom 120 are boarders. This makes it one of the largest (in terms of numbers of pupils) independent schools in the UK. The school owns a boathouse on the Thames, the base for Dulwich College Boat Club as well as large grounds around Dulwich. Admission by examination is mainly into years 3, 7, 9, and 12 (i.e. ages 7, 11, 13, and 16 years old) to the Junior, Lower, Middle and Upper Schools into which the college is divided.
The Good Schools Guide called the school "A multi-national operation...it undoubtedly works and homogenises a disparate clientele into a successful, stimulating educational and social mix."
History
1619: Foundation: The College of God's Gift at Dulwich
Founder's Day at Dulwich College is celebrated at the end of the Summer Term to commemorate the signing of the letters patent by James I on 21 June 1619 authorising Edward Alleyn to establish a college in Dulwich to be called 'the College of God's Gift, in Dulwich in Surrey'. The term "Dulwich College" was used colloquially from that date, such as in 1675 when John Evelyn described his visit to Dulwich College in his diary. However, for at least 263 years this colloquialism was incorrect as the school was part of the overall charitable Foundation. Edward Alleyn, as well as being a famous Elizabethan actor, was also a man of great property and wealth, derived mainly from places of entertainment including theatres, bear-gardens and brothels. All of these ventures were legitimate at the time and rumours that Alleyn turned his attention towards charitable pursuits out of fear for his moral well-being have been traced to the journalist George Sala and discredited. Since 1605, Alleyn had owned the manorial estate of Dulwich, and it may have been around this time that he first had the idea of establishing a college or hospital for poor people and the education of poor boys.
The building on Dulwich Green of a chapel, a schoolhouse and twelve almshouses, began in 1613 and was completed in the autumn of 1616. On September 1, 1616 the chapel was consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury who became the official Visitor. However, Edward Alleyn faced objections from Francis Bacon, the Lord Chancellor, in getting the patent of incorporation that was necessary to secure the Foundation's status as a college. It was Alleyn's persistence that led to the foundation being endowed by James I's signing of the letters patent. It is a member of both the Headmaster's Conference and the Eton Group.
The charity originally consisted of a Master, Warden, four fellows, six poor brothers, six poor sisters and twelve poor scholars, who became the joint legal owners of Alleyn's endowment of the manor and lands of Dulwich, collectively known as the Members of the College. The poor brothers and sisters and scholars were to be drawn from the four parishes that were most closely tied to Alleyn (being St Botolph's Bishopsgate where he was born, St Giles, Middlesex where he had built his Fortune Theatre, St Saviour's Southwark where he had the Paris Bear Garden, and St Giles Camberwell where the College was founded). The business of the charity was conducted in the name of these thirty members by the Master, Warden and four Fellows (Chaplain, Schoolmaster, Usher and Organist).
Alleyn drew upon the experience of other similar establishments in order to formulate the statutes and ordinances of the College (including borrowing the statutes of the already ancient Winchester College and visiting the more contemporary establishments of Sutton's Hospital (now Charterhouse School) and Croydon's Hospital (now Whitgift School)). Among the many statutes and ordinances signed by Alleyn that pertained to the charitable scheme were provisions that the scholars were entitled to stay until they were eighteen. And to be taught in good and sound learning’…’that they might be prepared for university or for good and sweet trades and occupations. Another stipulation was that the Master and Warden should always be unmarried and of Alleyn's blood, and surname, and if the former was impossible then at least of Alleyn's surname. Alleyn also made provision that the people of Dulwich should be able to have their men children instructed at the school for a fee as well as children from outside Dulwich for a separate fee.
The next two centuries were beset by both external difficulties such as diminishing financial fortunes and failing buildings as well as internal strife between the various Members of the College. The Official Visitor, the Archbishop of Canterbury, whose function was to ensure that the statutes were obeyed, was called in many times. The lack of a disinterested body of governors and of any official connection to the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge contributed significantly to the school failing to fulfill Alleyn's vision in its first two centuries. Some notable Masters did preside over the College during this time, including James Allen (the first Master to drop the 'y' from his surname), who in 1741 made over to the college six houses in Kensington, the rents of which were to be used in the establishment of two small schools in Dulwich, one for boys from the village, the other for girls to read and sew, out of which James Allen's Girls' School (JAGS) arose.
1808: Dulwich College Building Act
Having already obtained an Act in 1805 allowing them to enclose and develop common land within the manor, the College was granted the power by the 1808 Dulwich College Building Act to extend the period over which leases ran, from twenty-one years as laid down by Alleyn, to eighty-four years, thus attracting richer tenants and bringing in large sums of money. The increased wealth of the College eventually resulted in the Charity Commission establishment of an enquiry into the advisability of widening the application of the funds to those extra beneficiaries Alleyn had specified in later amended clauses to the foundation's original statutes. Although the Master of the Rolls, Lord Langdale rejected the appeal in 1841 on the grounds that Alleyn had no right to alter the original statutes, he did express dissatisfaction with the College's educational provision. Immediately after this criticism, the Dulwich College Grammar School was established in 1842 for the education of poor boys from Dulwich and Camberwell. To this school were transferred the boys of the James Allen Foundation, leaving James Allen's school for girls only. The Old Grammar School, as it became known, was erected in 1841 opposite the Old College, designed by Sir Charles Barry, the architect of the Palace of Westminster. It still exists today. The foundation scholars of the College continued to receive an education far short of Alleyn's vision, despite further attempts at reform by the Visitor. In 1854, the College was investigated by a new Commission set up by the 1853 Charitable Trusts Act which led to the 1857 Dulwich College Act.
1857: Alleyn's College of God's Gift
The 'College of God's Gift' became Alleyn's College of God's Gift when, on 25 August 1857, the Dulwich College Act dissolved the existing corporation and the charity was reconstituted with the new name. It was split into two parts with a joint Board of Governors: the educational (for the college) and the eleemonsynary (for the charity). The Master, Warden, four fellows and 12 servants were pensioned off, although Alleyn's wishes were, and continue to be, respected, as sixteen pensioners (being the equivalent of 12 poor brothers and sisters plus four fellows) still live in flats in the Old College, looked after by a Warden. As for the Master, he was still to be appointed as the head of the new school. In its new form, the Master of the College was Reverend Alfred Carver (Master from April 1857 to April 1883). He was also the first Master not to share the name of the school's founder "Alleyn" (or latterly "Allen"). The educational college was split into an "Upper" and "Lower" school. The "Upper school" was for boys between 8 and 18, to be taught a wide and detailed syllabus, and continued to be colloquially referred to as "Dulwich College". The "Lower school" for boys between 8 and 16, had lower fees and a syllabus and was aimed at children of the industrial and poorer classes. The Lower School was the incorporation of the boys from the grammar school established in the previous decade and was referred to as "Alleyn's College of God's Gift", although this was the name of the complete charitable foundation.
During the 1860s, when the Old College was under repair and the New College had yet to be built, both the Upper and Lower schools were housed in the building of Dulwich College Grammar School.
1870: The New College
It was during the decades immediately following the reconstitution that the College began to establish its identity as one of the great public schools. Dulwich College was included in Howard Staunton's 1865 book, The Great Schools of England, who wrote of the unusually comprehensive [scheme of instruction] and by the mid 1860s such was the enhanced reputation of the school that the pressure for places led to the introduction of a competitive examination. In the summer of 1869 the upper school took possession of the current site, referred to as the "New College", but it was not until Founder's Day (June 21) 1870 that the new college was officially opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales. The new college buildings, sited in the 60 acres of Dulwich Common, were designed by Charles Barry, Jr. (the eldest son of Sir Charles Barry). The lower school alone continued to occupy the Old College in Dulwich Village from 1870 until it was moved to its new (and current) premises in 1887.
The present school colours and school magazine (The Alleynian) were established in the 1860s and 1870s, as were school societies such as Debating and Natural Science. . By the time Canon Carver retired from the position of Master in 1882, Dulwich College was said to have expanded more rapidly in the previous 25 years than any other establishment and to be holding its own at universities, to have won a large number of places of honour in the Indian and Home Civil Service and at the Royal Military College of Woolwich and to be well represented amongst the pulic schools medals of the Royal Geographic Society and the prizes of the Art Schools of the Royal Academy.
1882: Dulwich College separated from Alleyn's School
Despite its growing reputation, the College was the focus of pressure by the Charity Commissioners and other parties (including the Board of Governors and the outlying parishes named in Edward Alleyn's will) to reorganise it and divert much of its endowment to other schemes. The Master, Canon Carver, resisted these pressures for many years, finally winning an appeal in 1876 at the highest possible level (the Privy Council) where Lord Selborne ruled in his favour. In 1882, the Charity Commissioners finally issued a scheme that Canon Carver found acceptable. This passed into law by Act of Parliament and resulted in the Upper and Lower schools being officially split into separate institutions. The Upper School became Dulwich College (officially for the first time) and the Lower became Alleyn's School. Both schools remained within the Alleyn's College of God's Gift charitable foundation (along with James Allen's Girls' School, St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School, and the three Central Foundation schools in Finsbury and Bishopsgate). Two Boards of Governors came into being. Both Dulwich College and Alleyn's School were to be managed by the College Governors who also administered the Chapel and Picture Gallery. The Estates and Almshouses were placed in the hands of the Estates Governors. The Foundation and the College are still governed under the same arrangement. The Archbishop of Canterbury's position as Visitor was also changed to that of Honorary Visitor of Alleyn's College of God's Gift, his powers being vested in the Charity Commissioners. Dulwich College's income is derived from the contributions by the Estates Governors, among whom the College Governors are well represented (having eight of the twenty five places) Canon Carver retired at this point, being the first headmaster to be both appointed and retired by Act of Parliament.
Old Alleynians
See also List of notable Old Alleynians.
Old boys of Dulwich College are called "Old Alleynians", after the founder of the school. This is often abbreviated to "O.A." as post nominal letters in brackets in school publications or publications specifically concerning the school. The term should not be confused with "Alleyn's Old Boys" used for alumni of Alleyn's School. Current pupils of the school are known as Alleynians. It should be noted that the terms Alleynian and Old Alleynian were not used until around 1880 before which the pupils and ex-pupils were known as Dulwichians. Old Alleynians have achieved eminence in many fields.
Houses
Boarding Houses
Boarders now belong to one of three boarding houses, although the number of boarding houses has fluctuated over time. Those up to the age of sixteen (Year 11) live in "The Orchard", whilst boys of the Upper School (Year 12 and Year 13) live in either "Ivyholme" or "Blew House". However, the College has not always had just these three boarding houses.
After the College was reconstituted in 1857 most of the boys were day-boys but provision was made for boarders, and the Governors licensed three boarding houses to be kept by respectable ladies in the village (hence they were then known as dames' houses). A fourth was added soon afterwards. The number of functioning boarding houses has fluctuated between one and five since that point and in total there have been six different houses:
Now one of the two senior houses, it was moved to its current position on College Road in the 1930s on the site of what had previously been the Master's garden (who had been residing in the south block of the New College). The original Blew House is called Old Blew House and still stands in Dulwich. Blew House was the only house to remain in commission throughout the Second World War for Alleynians and became a senior house at this point.
The second of the two current senior houses, it too was moved to its current position on College Road in the 1930s. It was bombed during the Second World War but was re-opened soon after as a senior house. During the Second World War whilst housing students of the School of Oriental and African Studies (who were going through a crash course in languages sponsored by the War Office) it was also run by the Master of the College.
This is the only junior house still functioning as a boarding house. It was bombed during the Second World War but was re-opened as one of two junior houses very close to the war ending. During the Second World War, like Ivyholme, it housed students of the School of Oriental and African Studies who were going through a crash course in languages sponsored by the War Office.
This was the house in which P.G.Wodehouse once boarded prior to it becoming a junior house. After the Second World War it re-opened as a junior house, along with The Orchard. In 1949 the boys of Elm Lawn were moved into Bell House (see below) and it became the home of the Master of the College, and still is today.
This eighteenth century building close to Dulwich Picture Gallery became the family home of the Master of the College in 1927 who until then had lived with his family in the south block of the New College. The Master moved out of this premises during the Second World War into Ivyholme. When Ivyholme reopened as a boarding house it was decided that the Master should not return to Bell House because it was too large for the purposes of a family residence. The Master moved to The Chestnuts and then in 1949 to Elm Lawn. Meanwhile, Bell House was adapted as a boarding house and became the second junior house, replacing Elm Lawn. In 1993 it was returned to private ownership as the College recognised the lack of need for a second junior boarding house.
As the number of boys requiring boarding increased towards the end of the Second World War a fifth house was created by converting the cricket pavilion. It was named after Canon Carver, first Master of the reconstituted College, but it did not last long in this form.
Gordon Bowl
This trophy was presented to the College prior to the Second World War. It was a trophy competed for by boarders only presented by an Old Alleynian, A.G.Gordon. It was originally competed for by the four boarding houses (when there was no junior/senior distinction), but after the Second World War only by the senior houses Blew House and Ivyholme. The trophy is no longer competed for.
Day Houses
All boys are members of one of eight day houses or Athletic Houses as they were originally known.. The Houses were the brainchild of W.D. ('Scottie') Gibbon, an assistant master and rugby coach.. The idea was decided upon in 1919 and in the school magazine, The Alleynian, of March 1920 the process was described. The division would be into six houses to be named after distinguished Englishmen of the Elizabethan period (see table below). The name of Shakespeare was omitted as being considered pre-eminent. Upon their original creation Boarders and Day Boys were divided thus: Grenville included Blew House, Marlowe included The Orchard, Spenser included Elm Lawn, Sidney included Ivyholme and two entirely Day-boy houses were created: Drake and Raleigh. The table below displays all the houses and their respective colours:
| House | Letter | Founded | Colours | Named After |
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| Drake | D | 1920 | | | Amber & Black | Sir Francis Drake | |
| Grenville | G | 1920 | | | Green & White | Sir Richard Grenville | |
| Howard | H | 1982 | | | Light Blue & Black | Lord Charles Howard | |
| Jonson | J | 1982 | | | Purple & Black | Ben Jonson | |
| Marlowe | M | 1920 | | | Black & White | Christopher Marlowe | |
| Raleigh | R | 1920 | | | Red & White | Sir Walter Raleigh | |
| Sidney | S (Si) | 1920 | | | Red & Black | Sir Philip Sidney | |
| Spenser | Sp (P) | 1920 | | | Royal Blue & White | Edmund Spenser | |
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The athletic houses were created to improve the standard of games at the College, which had deteriorated during the First World War. Before the creation of these houses, the most keenly anticipated matches were the Boarders vs Day-Boys or the Prefects vs The Rest of the School. The Athletic Houses produced, and still produce, Big Sides and Little Sides for competition. Big Sides are Houses teams that include players who also represent the school and Little are House sides that do not include school sporting representatives.
A boy's house is decided randomly or through family connection where possible. The houses continue to compete in sporting and cultural competitions (such as music, drama, chess and debating). The Cock House Shield or Cup are presented to the leading House at the end of the school year taking into account all competitions.
House colours are awarded by the Day House Masters and differ in form depending on the age of the boy:
- Lower and Junior Schools: House Colours Badge - displaying the colours as depicted in the above table.
- Middle School: House Colours tie - Colours as displayed on the above table are arranged in a striped pattern running diagonally upward from left to right on a grey background. The stripe consists of the main colour (that which is not Black or White) being in the middle with edges of the secondary colour (either Black or White). In the case of Marlowe House the main colour is White.
- Upper School: House Colours tie - As for Middle School except:
- (1) the background colour of the tie is Royal Blue;
- (2) The stripe runs in the opposite direction for Drake House and Spenser House;
- (3) The Main Colour and secondary colour are reversed for Sidney House and Spenser House (Red of Sidney House forms the edges of the stripe, with the Black in the centre, Royal Blue of Spenser forms the edges of the stripe with White at the centre);
- (4) Spenser House tie background is slightly darker than the other Houses (due to the House colour being the same as the general background for the Upper School House Colours tie).
School uniform
The current school uniform as worn by students consists of :
- College Blazer or for the Upper School only a black single-breasted jacket.
- Charcoal grey or black trousers (not denim or cotton).
- White shirt (tucked into trousers) with a tidy collar.
- An approved college team, colours, society or prefect's tie, knotted close to the collar, which must be fastened.
- Plain dark grey, black, or navy socks.
- Plain black, polished, leather shoes.
- Dark grey, black or navy V-necked pullover or in the Upper School only, a plain grey, black, or navy waistcoat.
- A coat of sober hue and cut with plain buttons and no insignia.
- A scarf in college colours.
- Hats should be of sober hue and not worn inside.
- Hair should not exceed collar length, or be close shaven.
- Senior Prefects may wear a blue collared shirt.
- Pupils in the Upper School awarded half School colours may wear a braided crest on their left breast pocket.
- Pupils in the Upper School awarded full School colours may wear a blue striped blazer with braided badge.
- Jewellery is not permitted, unless proven on religious grounds.
- Facial hair is only permitted on well defined religious grounds, and supported by a letter of application from parents.
School magazine
The Dulwich College school magazine is called the Alleynian, named after the school's founder Edward Alleyn. This magazine was first published in 1873, although the school's first magazine under the name the Dulwich College Magazine for School News and General Reading had been published in 1864 but only lasted for fourteen issues after its editor left for Cambridge University.. The Alleynian was edited at one point by P.G.Wodehouse in his last year at the school. The magazine is still published today.
School arms
When Edward Alleyn founded the school he designed a coat of arms and crest. This was used by the school until, in 1935, it was decreed by the College of Arms that it was the exclusive property of Edward Alleyn and his family. The new arms granted by the College of Arms were very similar to the old ones retaining most of the features. Deism and learning is represented by the flames in the crest. From the ring of flames an arm with a hand holding a heart protrudes. This probably symbolises charity and has a twofold meaning. First, it represents Alleyn's charitable intentions, and second it recalls Alleyn's most famous speech, written by Ben Jonson, when he presented King James I with the flaming heart of London during The Magnificent Entertainment, a procession by which the City of London welcomed King James I from Scotland in 1604. The lower portion of the shield incorporates the original shield being an argent (silver) background on which are placed a chevron (bent bar) dividing three cinquefoils gules (red five pointed stars). It should be noted that the motto was written as Detur Soli Deo Gloria prior to 1935 as per the school song, but now appears as Detur Gloria Soli Deo on the current Coat of Arms.
Recent developments
Although it has always been a private foundation, for some time in the middle of the 20th century a large percentage of pupils entered on scholarships funded by local authorities in and around Greater London. Known as "the Dulwich Experiment", it created one of the most socially mixed, meritocratic and high-achieving schools in the country. The 'Direct Grant' scheme was abolished for new entrants by the Wilson/Callaghan government in the mid-1970s, and by the early 1980s the last such students had passed through the school. Perhaps for this reason, the 1980s also coincided with a period of academic and pastoral stagnation. Some argue that the school showed a reluctance to end its attachment to the classics, and a slowness to embrace fully new information technologies and modern languages, even if the school was a pioneer in these fields in the 1960's. Some long-serving masters, themselves schooled in the early post-war years of military service, corporal punishment and deference, may have had difficulty in adapting to rapidly changing cultural mores and values in the latter years of the century, although Dulwich was certainly by no means unique in this respect.
The Mastership of Anthony Verity began conservatively, but steadily adopted a modernising agenda. Verity himself was seen by many as an outsider and was forced to resign following allegations about his personal life in 1996. His successor, Graham Able, has continued the modernising tradition and maintained a high public profile.
The school benefited from the revived 'Assisted Places' Scheme brought in by the first Thatcher administration. On the election of the Blair government in 1997, this scheme was abolished by the new Education Secretary, David Blunkett. More recently, the school seems to have found a new market educating the sons of wealthy Russian oligarchs and other international business people. Apart from its own scholarships, the school is now entirely fee-paying, but has the long term aim of increasing its means-tested bursary awards.
Alleyn's and JAGS belong to the same foundation, and the college has also founded international schools in Phuket, Shanghai and Beijing and Suzhou. All of the franchise schools are built in the distinctive red-brick style of the London school, but with modern and oriental twists on the theme. Recently the school's franchise in Phuket ended its association with Dulwich because of disagreements over the curriculum; it was then known as "Dulwich College International School, Phuket" and now simply as "British International School, Phuket".
Academic achievement
The school has maintained a strong academic record. Once considered among the top ten academic schools in the country, the school has lost its former leading position. In official league tables it has fallen in relation to its fellow Foundation schools, James Allen's Girls' School and Alleyn's School. Note, however, that the school supports a sixth form that, at just under 200 pupils, is very much larger than those of the other Foundation Schools (with James Allen's Girls' School c.90 and Alleyn's School c.130 ), and bigger than most other public/independent schools in the United Kingdom. The school typically has about 120 pupils gaining 100% AB grades at A level . In recent years, the school has produced between 20 and 30 Oxbridge students per year.
With regard to GCSE results, the College's results may be understated, as boys take the IGCSE in English and Maths and this result is not shown on the league tables.
Headmastership of Dulwich College
The Head Master of Dulwich College is styled The Master of Dulwich College, as laid out in the 1882 scheme of the Charity Commissioners. This continued a tradition of the Head of the College being called the Master since its foundation in 1619. The Foundation originally had a governing body consisting of a Master, Warden, four Fellows, and six Assistants made up of the two churchwardens of each of the three parishes of St Botolph's, Bishopsgate, of St Saviour's, Southwark, and of St Giles', Cripplegate. The Master was most senior, followed by the Warden and on vacancy of the Mastership, the Warden succeeded. By the 1857 Dulwich College Act the Master, Warden and Fellows were pensioned and the governance of the foundation switched to a body of nineteen Governors. However, the position of Master continued as the title of the Headmaster of the new Upper School, with an Undermaster as deputy. The 1882 Act (as a result of the Charity Commissioners scheme) abolished the office of Undermaster.
- Masters of the College of God's Gift in Dulwich
- Thomas ALLEYN (appointed 1619 (assumed office on death of Founder Edward Alleyn); died 1631)
- Matthias ALLEYN (succeeded 1631; died 1642)
- Thomas ALLEYN (succeeded 1642; died 1668-9)
- Raph ALLEYN (succeeded 1668-9; died 1677-8)
- John ALLEYN (succeeded 1677-8; died 1686)
- Richard ALLEYN (succeeded 1686; died 1690)
- John ALLEYN (succeeded 1690; died 1712)
- Thomas ALLEYN (succeeded 1712; died 1721)
- James ALLEN (formerly ALLEYN) (succeeded 1721; died 1746)
- Joseph ALLEN (succeeded 1746; resigned 1775)
- Thomas ALLEN (succeeded 1775; died 1805)
- William ALLEN (succeeded 1805; died 1811)
- Lancelot Baugh ALLEN (succeeded 1811; resigned 1820)
- John ALLEN (succeeded 1820; died 1843)
- George John ALLEN (succeeded 1843; pensioned 1857)
- Masters of Alleyn's College of God's Gift at Dulwich and (from 18 August 1882) Dulwich College
- Rev. Alfred James CARVER (appointed 1858; retired 1883)
- Rev. James Edward Cowell WELLDON (appointed 1883; retired 1885)
- Arthur Herman GILKES (appointed 1885; retired 1914)
- George SMITH (appointed 1914; retired 1928)
- Walter Reynolds BOOTH (appointed 1928; retired 1941)
- Christopher H GILKES (appointed 1941; died 1953)
- Deputy Master in charge for 12 months whilst replacement found.
- Ronald GROVES (appointed 1954; retired 1966)
- Charles W LLOYD (appointed 1966; retired 1975)
- David A EMMS (appointed 1975; retired 1986)
- Anthony C F VERITY (appointed 1986; resigned 1995)
- Christopher FIELD (The Deputy Master who became Acting Master during 1996.)
- Graham G ABLE (appointed 1997)
The College Governors have announced that Dr Joseph Spence, currently headmaster of Oakham School, has been appointed to succeed Graham Able on his retirement at the end of the 2009 academic year.
Collections
At the College
The school has a very extensive archive, especially of material relating to drama and the arts, much of which is from Edward Alleyn's (the founder) own library. Apart from diaries kept by Alleyn and his partner Henslowe are many other documents relating to the college and foundation. There are also 12 volumes of unpublished music by John Reading; two first folio Shakespeares; a Mercator Atlas; first editions of poetry by John Donne, Edmund Spenser and Dryden; A Book of Hours from the fifteenth century and even a copy of the first book to be printed in London in 1480.
Other interesting artefacts held by the College include the "James Caird", the whaler in which Ernest Shackleton made his intrepid voyage to South Georgia from Elephant Island in 1916, as well as other items such as sledges, skis and clothing from Shackleton's famous journey for survival.
Above the fireplace in the Masters' Library are two panels depicting pietas (Duty) and liberalitas (Generosity) bought by Edward Alleyn in 1618 from Elizabeth I's state barge. They are reputed to have originally come from Francis Drake's Golden Hinde.
Dulwich Picture Gallery
Alleyn's College was also bequeathed a large collection of paintings by Francis Bourgeois in 1811, which had originally been intended to form the nucleus of the collection of the last king of Poland, Stanislaw August Poniatowski. Following the partitions of Poland the paintings were left to the College, which set up the Dulwich Picture Gallery under a trusteeship in a building designed by Sir John Soane, which became Britain's first public art gallery. Since 1995 the Gallery has been an independent registered charity.
Painting of the College
In the spring of 1870, the buildings of the New College were painted by the impressionist artist, Camille Pissarro. Pissarro was at the time living in Upper Norwood having fled from France at the time of the Franco-Prussian War and was entranced by the London landscapes.
Use of the College in films
Because of its proximity to Central London and its combination of impressive architecture and rural character, it has been a popular location for filming and photography for feature films, docu-dramas and adverts. It is actively advertised as a location by "Dulwich College Enterprises", the for-profit business side of the school.
Recently, Dulwich College was used as part of the film set for the Tomb Raider film, and Legally Blonde. In Tomb Raider, Lara Croft can be seen in the College Great Hall during the auction at the beginning of the film. The graduation ceremony at the end of Legally Blonde was also filmed in the Great Hall, because Reese Witherspoon was in the UK for the filming of The Importance of Being Earnest.
Recently it was used in a "docu-drama" about the young "rockstar" life of Tony Blair.
It was also used in Channel Four's Star Stories. The opening scene of "Watch Without Prejudice" (George Michael) takes place outside of the lunch hall.
In a current advert for the Toyota Auris, the College can be seen. It is also used in many other adverts for this manufacturer.
Dulwich College has been used by the UK Garage and Grime act, So Solid Crew, as the backdrop for the album cover of their 2003 album Second Verse. The Rap Group are standing at the front entrance of the school, with the Centre Block behind them.
The most recent filming was of the music video 'H2O', which took place outside the centre block and in several of the masters' studies.
Also, a series of Morgan Stanley adverts were filmed around the school grounds, including the school shop.
Some of the halls in the Harry Potter films were also filmed in the Great Hall.
See also
External links
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