Hidden away in a Victorian album... a photo of Oscar Wilde as a student

Published: 23:33, 20 May 2026 | Updated: 23:33, 20 May 2026 He wowed the world with a story about a mysterious old portrait. And now Oscar Wilde is himself at the centre of a fascinating tale about a picture – after a photo from his Oxford days was discovered. The picture of the playwright among his fellow students, wearing suits and either boaters, boards or bowler hats, in the Cloisters of Magdalen College during 1876, was discovered in a Victorian photo album. Wilde arrived as an undergraduate in 1874 and graduated four years later. After this, the Irish author would go on to become a literary giant of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with masterpieces such as The Picture of Dorian Gray – about a handsome man who sells his soul to preserve his youth, while his portrait ages instead.  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 auctioneers expect the album, which features 90 miscellaneous photographs, to fetch between £3,000 to £5,000. The picture of the playwright among his fellow students, wearing suits and either boaters, boards or bowler hats, in the Cloisters of Magdalen College during 1876, was discovered in a Victorian photo album As well as the iconic author, the image is also said to feature Christian Frederick Cole, who was Oxford University's first black graduate. He went on to become England's first black barrister, called to the Bar in 1883. He was born in Sierra Leone in 1852 and died of smallpox aged just 33. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.