New College Chapel featured on BBC Radio 4's Ian Hislop's Oldest Jokes
On 25 January, New College Chapel was featured on BBC Radio 4's Ian Hislop's Oldest Jokes. In the series, Ian tries to find the first examples of jokes featuring classic comedic hallmarks such as parody, Double entendre and wordplay.
In this episode, Ian visits New College Chapel to look for the earliest examples of visual humour. With art historian Dr Janina Ramirez from Harris Manchester College, he finds hilarious carvings under the wooden seats (misericords) featuring "straining green men, noble knights on pantomime horses and semi-clad students involved in what appears to be a boozy brawl". Dr Ramirez explains to Ian that the carving seems to be depiction of an altercation between Oxford's town and gown communities. New College's Dean of Divinity, Rev Dr Erica Longfellow, is also featured on the show, helping the pair to delve into the history of the misericords.
Photo copyright: BBC Radio 4