In March 1878, Walter Severn rushed to Rome to be at the bedside of his father Joseph, who he believed was dying. When he arrived, Joseph recounted his early life and reminisced about a number of famous and prominent people he had known. Walter noted down the conversation for posterity and it is this which... Continue Reading →
Remembrance in the Collections
This year Remembrance Sunday commemorations will be fairly different to tradition as the nation observes social distancing. Despite restrictions on crowds and gatherings indoors, there are many socially distanced events scheduled to honour the service and sacrifices of the armed forces, and their communities, in conflict. There are a number of holdings in the Eton... Continue Reading →
Eton Boys and Guy Fawkes
My name is Beck Price and I am an Archives Assistant at Eton College Archives. My role involves working on helping to transcribe and catalogue parts of the collection, as well as assisting with the rehousing of objects and general enquiries made to the archives. I will also be helping to contribute more to the... Continue Reading →
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Anjali Dhunna, Gallery Steward Who are you and what do you do? Hi, my name is Anjali Dhunna and I am currently a Gallery Steward primarily working in the Verey Gallery. I am also a student studying Physical Geography at university. What made you want to work in the Museums and Galleries at Eton College? I absolutely... Continue Reading →
Thoth and the African Sacred Ibis
In ancient Egypt, the ibis was one manifestation of Thoth, the god associated with divine knowledge and writing. The breed of ibis specifically sacred to Thoth is the African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) which became extinct in Egypt in the mid-19th century. This species has a white body, here represented by travertine, and a black... Continue Reading →
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Sara Spillett, Conservation Housekeeper Who are you and what do you do? My name is Sara, I am the Conservation Housekeeper and I work across the Eton College Collections. What does a normal day at work at Eton look like for you? Every day is different, it’s what I love the most about my job. ... Continue Reading →
Stories in the Stones: a response to an architectural trail of Eton
Hidden Nature: the Stories in the Stones was created as an event for the Heritage Open Day festival and for Windsor Festival and Fringe. It is something we hope the public will be able to continue to enjoy whilst the museums and galleries themselves are closed. You can explore the trail virtually or in person,... Continue Reading →
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Rebecca Tessier, Collections Cataloguer and Museums Officer Who are you and what do you do? Rebecca Tessier, Collections Cataloguer and Museums Officer. I am also Keeper of the Museum of Eton Life. I do all sorts of things! As Collections Cataloguer I work on cataloguing projects across the department, focusing on the object-based collections. This... Continue Reading →
Married to a She-Wolf: Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou
The Verey Gallery at Eton recently hosted the Eton Choirbook and provided the relevant history surrounding it. One of the display cabinets encased an Illumination (below) which included an image of the founder of Eton College, Henry Vl, aged 23 and his bride Margaret of Anjou, only 15 years of age. Detail of a leaf... Continue Reading →
So, what is the Moa?
Right so, imagine a cross between an Ostrich and an Emu, make it bigger and hey presto you have a Moa! This is not scientifically what a Moa (Order: Dirnornithiformes) is, however genetic studies have found that its closest relatives are small South American birds called the Tinamous (Order: Tinamiformes)[1],[2], despite the fact Moas used... Continue Reading →