History of the cast collection - introduction
The Ashmolean Museum's collection of plaster casts is one of the oldest and best preserved in Britain. Its history begins almost two hundred years ago, when plaster casts of ancient Greek and Roman statues could be found in several parts of the University. They served to decorate rooms, especially libraries, and to proclaim the Glory of Greece and the prestige of Oxonians who had made the Grand Tour to the Mediterranean.
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Aerial view of Oxford. Photograph: Skyscan Balloon