Happy Christmas to all! A ceremony at Queen’s College, Oxford, from a postcard by Gillette, published by Raphael Tuck & Sons, London, c. 1909.

Merry Christmas to all our students, staff, alumni and friends around the world 🎄 📸 Lloyd Mann

Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating 🎄✨ #MerryChristmas

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight— “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Academic dress fit for the holidays: The gowns of rectors of Czech universities are a reinterpretation of the original model of Charles University. The turquoise gown is the rector of the Academy of Fine Arts. The rector of the Mining University, in Ostrava, wears the black gown.

I am only and and ever a Glaswegian.' It's been wonderful to bestow honorary degrees this Commemoration Day, including broadcaster & journalist Kirsty Young. Welcome to #TeamUofG! #UofGCommDay

We’re not the only ones who notice deviations from how gowns are worn in real life.

Created after the Second World War, the University of Sussex reimagined of some of the oldest elements of academic costume. Andrew Plant explains how its eccentricity attracted opprobrium, speculation, bewilderment, and several urban myths. newprairiepress.org/burgonsociet...

The scribe at work has left his spectacles in the drawer. #writingdesk BnF Français 9198; Vie et miracles de Notre Dame, en prose française, arrangés par Jean Miélot; 15th century; f.19r @gallicabnf.bsky.social

What a desk! #writingdesk BnF MS Français 17211; Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, French translation by Claude de Seyssel, volume 1; early 16th century; f.1r @gallicabnf.bsky.social

And if you’re unfamiliar with Charles Franklyn, you’ll find out plenty in Nicholas Groves’ biography of the irascible fellow, “Charles Franklyn: A Man of Strong Opinions.” (A subtitle which describes him mildly.) burgon.org.uk/shop

Our hood of the month, the beautiful Cambridge Bachelor of Music. Historical details are at burgon.org.uk/hood-of-month ‘For once, Charles Franklyn’s immortal phrase may be confidently applied, since few would contest that this hood really is one of the most beautiful and dignified in the world’.

Father Goff’s article covers a lot ground. The Burgon Society festal hood permits fur, doesn’t require it. The two Burgon festal hoods to our knowledge lined with real fur are one with fur re-purposed from an old hood, and one with possum fur—an invasive species in New Zealand, the wearer’s home.

When it came to creating our own hood, what should it look like? The [s2] for Congregation was straightforward, but the festal [f7] had a more dramatic inception. Both would be approved for Fellows of the Burgon Society. Philip Goff recounts how they came to be. newprairiepress.org/burgonsociet...

Oh, that isn’t the new hood for Doctor of Electrical Engineering?

Peter A. Thompson’s article on wearing academic hoods ‘in quire’ uses as a foundation the portrait collection of the archbishops of Armagh, evidence of past practice and evolving custom. Which hoods were worn when? Should a hood should be worn with the chimere? newprairiepress.org/burgonsociet...

Ah, splendid! The saturated colours look so summery.

Whoever said academics don’t throw proper parties has never been to a proper part given by an academic.

Nice views, though they’re missing the gowns!

Excited to announce my first ever panel at #IMC2026! 🎉 Our session, 'Negotiating Masculinity in Eastern Orthodoxy', brings together papers from @nick-mayhew.bsky.social, Orlen Crawford (co-organiser) and myself, with @maroulix.bsky.social as moderator. @imc-leeds.bsky.social @leedsims.bsky.social

Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of Taxila, Pakistan, one of the earliest sites of higher education in the world, active from the 5th century before the common era If you like this image, please retweet it - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm

Brother Gregor never spoke and often spooked the neophytes with his appearance, but he was a gentle soul and a phenomenal cook and knew more ways to prepare a fish than the abbot knew hymns

The question of hood etiquette in choirs has always been something of a contentious one. Regardless of what the Canons say, tradition and opinion still seem to win out in most cases. Samuel Teague’s article on hoods in Oxford collegiate choirs is now available: newprairiepress.org/burgonsociet...

Let’s take a look, Fellows: Whose hoods do you see?

Philip Goff, a founding Fellow of the Burgon Society, was honored by the University of London on its Founding Day and visited with the university’s Chancellor, The Princess Royal.

Which knot would you suggest for tying a tassel to a trencher? Or holding a hood in place so it doesn’t ride up your throat and choke you?

Undergraduates in cap and gown are a rare sight today. Yet in the UK, over 30 universities prescribe it for students. Find out more in Edward Teather’s article on The History of Undergraduate Academical Dress in Britain’s Modern Universities since 1880, now at newprairiepress.org/burgonsociet...

Now online: The first woman in the British Empire entitled to wear a hood trimmed with fur was in New Zealand in 1879. Bruce Christianson, Philip Goff, and the late Nicholas Groves tell her story in Furred Hoods with Silk Linings from the Late 19th Century. newprairiepress.org/burgonsociet...

Looks as though we won’t have to worry about AI taking historians’ jobs any time soon. bsky.app/profile/stev...

We Fellows are preponderantly fellows, but not entirely! That makes us a rarity for a costume society, most of whose members are women. We would very happily welcome you into our ranks.

Finally, after a day of inducting Fellows, hearing from the President, learning from research presentations, and lunch, the Burgon Society heads to a dinner at Café du Marché to celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary.

An update on the continued growth of online readership of Transactions of the Burgon Society from the editor, Stephen Wolgast, at The Charterhouse, London, on 11 October. Find articles at newprairiepress.org/burgonsociety/

After a group photo, Fellows and members of the Burgon Society return to the Great Hall of The Charterhouse for the afternoon session on Saturday, 11 October, in London. Most of the hoods are the Society’s Fellow’s hood. How many others can you name?

After Congregation and before the afternoon presentations on 11 October, the Master of The Charterhouse, Peter Aiers, OBE (left), leads a tour of the cloisters.

There’s time for tea before the twenty-fifth Congregation starts in the Great Hall of The Charterhouse in London.

Out now for members: Volume 24 of Transactions of the Burgon Society. This year’s articles cover academic dress in the Royal College of Music, Israel, King’s College London, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Australia. Members can access it at burgon.org.uk/research/tra....

A warm welcome to all our new students who matriculated this weekend!

Absolutely! The Burgon Society is part of the open access movement. Dive in at newprairiepress.org/burgonsociety/

At the Society’s twenty-fifth anniversary Congregation last week, Dr Jonathan Cooper, right, Dean of Studies, introduces Edward Teather, standing left, for Fellowship, for his paper on the history of undergraduate academical dress in Britain’s modern universities since 1880.

Happy matriculation to all our new students 🌟 Matriculation is when students are formally admitted as members of the University. Here are our new matriculants at @jesuscollegecam.bsky.social, wearing their formal gowns for the first time. 📸 Lloyd Mann

Oriel College, Oxford

A fine autumn morning in Cambridge.

What a great idea!

Quite the liripipe on his hood (left image); does that hood have ear holes too?

Call for applications! 📣 The German Historical Institute London is seeking a Research Associate with a particular research interest in medieval history (with a focus on late medieval English history) for a part-time project position to start on 1 February 2026. 🤝 1/3

Warmest congratulations to the inspiring @wto.org Director General Dr @noiweala.bsky.social on her election as Honorary Fellow @lucycavcoll.bsky.social @cam.ac.uk. @demedglobal.bsky.social @cisdl.bsky.social

Burgon founding Fellow and former Dean of Studies Prof. Bruce Christianson was invested as a Fellow of the University of Hertfordshire at St Albans Cathedral on 2 September 2025. Heres a photo of Bruce receiving the Fellowship from the Pro Vice Chancellor, with a view of the University mace too.

Cambridge's @caiuscollege.bsky.social, where I've been a Fellow for the last 5 years, have done a profile on my new book, with the photo I think of as my 'peak don' moment. (If you wonder what is my 'nadir don', it's watching Real Housewives on my exercise bike). www.cai.cam.ac.uk/news/touchin...

There’s still time to book in for our annual Congregation on Saturday 11 October, in Charterhouse in London. Another reason to join us: Seats remain for the dinner on Saturday evening at the Café du Marché. Need an even better reason? Wear your festal dress in the afternoon! burgon.org.uk/events

We have a full line-up of ceremony and research presentations set for our 25th anniversary Congregation. Interested in learning about academic dress and how the Burgon Society promotes its discoveries? Join us at Charterhouse in London on 11 October. burgon.org.uk/latest-news/...