The Origins of the University of Wales Robes

For those of us who regard the range of University of Wales shot silks as among the most beautiful and dignified of silks that adorn academic robes, the fact that details of their origins are unknown has been a source of irritation. The University of Wales Registry has often denied any knowledge of the origins of the University’s robes, and the University of Wales archives in the National Library of Wales contain no papers relating to the design of the robes. However, the recent development of the British Library’s Nineteenth Century Newspapers digital project, available through the Gale Group, has at last revealed something of the origins of the robes. [Excerpt]