Editing Radcliffe Camera (section)

===Construction===
On 17 May 1737, the foundation stone was laid. Four days before, the Trustees had decided on an inscription for it to bear on a copper plate. The whereabouts of neither the stone nor the plate are known, although it is believed that the copper plate adorned a section of the wall that was removed to create the doorway in 1863.<ref name="gillamxiv"/> That inscription read:<ref>{{harvnb|Gillam|1958|pp=xiv–xv}}</ref>
<blockquote style="text-align:center">Quod Felix Faustumque sit
Academiae Oxoniensi
Die XVI. Kalendarum Junii
Anno MDCCXXXVII<br>
Carolo Comite de Arran
Cancellario
Staphano Niblett S.T.P.
Vice-Cancellario
Thoma Paget et Iohanne Land A.M.
Procuratoribus
<br>
Plaudenti undique
Togata Gente
Honorabilis Admodum D<sup>nus</sup> D<sup>nus</sup> Carolus Noel Somerset
Honorabilis Iohannes Verney
Gualterus Wagstaff Bagot Baronettus
Edwardus Harley
et Armigeri
Edwardus Smith<br>
Radclivii Munificentissimi
Testamenti Curatores
P.P.
Jacobo Gibbs Architecto
</blockquote>

The progress of the building and the craftsmen employed is detailed both in the Minute Books of the Trustees and the Building Book, which supplement information given by Gibbs in his ''Bibliotheca Radcliviana''. An extract states:<ref name=bh/><blockquote>Mr. [[William Townesend]] of Oxford, and Mr. [[William Smith of Warwick (1661-1724)|William Smith of Warwick]], were employed to be masons; Mr. John Philipps to be the carpenter and joiner; Mr. George Devall to be plumber; Mr. Townsend junior to be stone carver; [[William Linnell|Mr. Linel]] of Long-acre, London, to be carver in wood; Mr. Artari, an Italian, to be their plaisterer in the fret work way; Mr. [[John Michael Rysbrack|Michael Rysbrack]] to be sculptor, to cut the Doctor's figure in marble; and Mr. Blockley to be locksmith.</blockquote>
Francis Smith, the father of William, was chosen as one of the masons, but died in 1738 and was succeeded by his son near the beginning of building. In 1739, John Townesend also succeeded his father on the latter's death.<ref name=bh/> The Clerk of Works for most of the construction was Thomas Jersey, who was paid £40 per annum. He was replaced in 1745 by George Shakespeare and shortly thereafter William Robinson.<ref>{{harvnb|Gillam|1958|p=xv}}</ref> The construction went smoothly until February 1741, save for a short interruption in the latter part of 1740 when the threat of [[smallpox]] halted work. It was in February 1741 that there appears to have been either a misunderstanding or a change of plan concerning what the dome was to be constructed out of. It had been partially completed out of stone, to the value of over £700 of stonework completed or prepared, when all work was immediately halted. The Trustees threatened to take the matter to the [[Court of Chancery]] if Townesend and Smith pursued their claim for £700 to cover the stonemasons' bills; the Trustees did not make good this threat and they eventually paid the bill. Part of the stone dome was removed and the dome recovered in timber and lead. 41 tonnes of Derbyshire lead was used on the roof. The incident took over a year to completely resolve. The dome had been completed by March 1743.<ref>{{harvnb|Gillam|1958|pp=xvi–xvii}}</ref> In 1742 or 1743, when the exterior scaffolding was being removed (only work on the [[cupola]] and [[balustrade]] remained) two men were killed in an accident. The Trustees approved the payment of £20 to be held on trust for the family of one of the dead men and inquired after the circumstances of the accident and the men injured.<ref name="gillamxvii">{{harvnb|Gillam|1958|p=xvii}}</ref>

[[Image:The Radcliffe Camera from the Bodleian end of Catte Street.jpg|thumb|220px|The Camera, as viewed from outside the [[Bodleian Library]] on [[Catte Street]], with [[University Church of St Mary the Virgin|St Mary's]] obscured behind left.]]

The interior work began once the main structure was complete. John Phillips was employed as a carpenter for the Library's floors, windows and bookcases.<ref name="gillamxvii"/> Joseph Artari was chosen to be the project's plasterer, employing Charles Stanley and Thomas Toberts alongside him. In March 1745, the Trustees intervened to help ensure no work was proceeding by candlelight as the Library neared completion. A portrait of Radcliffe was sent to [[John Michael Rysbrack]], who was tasked with creating a six-feet tall marble statue of the Library's benefactor. It was installed by Townesend and Smith.<ref>{{harvnb|Gillam|1958|p=xviii}}</ref> The responsibility for the ironwork for the gates for the seven exterior arches of the library was given to Robert Bakewell of Derby. His original estimate proved too low, however, explained by Gibbs to be a result of the French war. It eventually cost £364.<ref>{{harvnb|Gillam|1958|pp=xviii–xix}}</ref> The Trustee's meeting of 13 March 1746 reveals that the remaining work consisted of the paving of the library inside and out, the staircase rail, and the locks, hinges and bolts for the bookcases.<ref>{{harvnb|Gillam|1958|pp=xix–xx}}</ref>

The exterior of the building was complete by 1747 and the building fully completed in 1748.<ref name="gillamxx">{{harvnb|Gillam|1958|p=xx}}</ref> A librarian was appointed, as was a porter. Before Radcliffe's death, the sub-librarian of the Bodleian, Thomas Hearne, was widely considered to have been Radcliffe's choice as his new librarian. He was not appointed, however, and the post remained unfilled.<ref>{{harvnb|Gillam|1958|pp=xxv–xxvi}}</ref> In 1737, another sub-librarian, [[Francis Wise]], reached out to several influential figures (including [[Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle|the Duke of Newcastle]]) to assist him in securing the position. However, by 1741 he had grown deeply weary of the level of competition he faced, particularly from a Richard Green, Radcliffe's great-nephew.<ref>{{harvnb|Gillam|1958|pp=xxvi–xxvii}}</ref> The position did not go to Green, however: Wise was appointed to the position by a majority of one in 1748.<ref>{{harvnb|Gillam|1958|p=xxviii}}</ref> The first porter was Pudsey Mussendine, who was paid a salary of £20 per annum, and received a gown in Radcliffe's colours and with his coat of arms emblazoned on it. The opening ceremony was delayed by around a year because of disturbances in Oxford.<ref name="gillamxxi">{{harvnb|Gillam|1958|p=xxi}}</ref> It finally took place on 13 April 1749.<ref name=bh/>

Work on the exterior continued after the opening of the Library. In 1750, part of the land between the Camera and St. Mary's Church was remodelled to remove a dividing wall, level the ground and lay pebbles on it. This cost a total of £158. 17s, of which £100 came from the Trust and the rest from the university. The Old Convocation house was repaired in 1759 at the cost of £144.<ref>{{harvnb|Gillam|1958|pp=xxviii–xxix}}</ref> In 1751, the Trustees also agreed to the construction of twenty obelisks to hold [[gas lamp]]s, which the university agreed to maintain. Only 14 were actually erected and in 1755 the Trustees reimbursed the university for the cost of maintaining them up to that point and took on the obligation itself out of the £100 per annum left by Radcliffe for the Library's upkeep. In 1758–9, for example, they were lit on 89 nights at a cost of £23. 6s. 1d.<ref name="Gillam 1958 xxix">{{harvnb|Gillam|1958|p=xxix}}</ref>