Cambridge Balls

Cambridge Balls is the sensational new book by bestselling society photographer Dafydd Jones, capturing over 40 years of the infamous Cambridge University May Balls. Cambridge Balls is the sensational new book by bestselling society photographer Dafydd Jones. The Cambridge University colleges are renowned for many great alumni and important achievements… and also a series of marathon all-night parties, known as the May Balls, held annually to celebrate the end of the academic year. Dafydd Jones, who according to The New York Times, ‘goes about his business with cheery zest and a wicked eye’; has been granted unique access to this hidden world of revelry since 1981, during which the author of England: The Last Hurrah and Hollywood Confidential has captured an extraordinary tableau of antics and shenanigans now beautifully reproduced on these pages. From former British Prime Minister David Cameron in his Bullingdon coat to victorious rowing teams celebrating into the night, from gate crashers punting across the river to the more international student groups of modern times toasting their successes, this is a fascinating portrait of jubilation among the young, the wealthy and the academic elites of one of the world’s most famous universities. Praise for England: The Last Hurrah… “Wonderfully ironic, every point in the picture ignites and knows how to entertain very well.” — Lovely Books “Dafydd catches those moments of genuine exhilaration, wealth and youth.” — The Hollywood Reporter Praise for Hollywood Confidential… “With his new collection of photographs, Dafydd Jones offers a sensational dive into the excitement of the awards season in the 1990s.” — Vanity Fair France Praise for New York: High Life / Low Life… “The New York book is an evocative historical document, brimming with nostalgia and menace.” –– Hannah Marriott, The Guardian Praise for Dafydd Jones… “Modest though he is, Dafydd’s photographs will endure for having perfectly captured a society on the brink of decline.” –– Country & Townhouse podcast “Sublime vintage photographs…” –– Hermione Eyre, The Telegraph “Some carefully tended public images are punctured with such rapier precision that one can hear the hiss as they deflate.” –– Mitchell Owens, The World of Interiors