Part of the Information Board in Eton High Street (3)

Image: © David Hillas Taken: 13 Sep 2019

The fourth and fifth columns has the following wording and illustrations: 12) Kakapo flightless parrot The Natural History Museum was originally financed by subscription from Eton's Science Masters in 1875. Most of the museum is actually an Edwardian annexe added in memory of a boy, Lionel Lawson, who died in a boarding house fire in 1903. He was an avid birdwatcher and his parents gave the College money to house a collection of British birds bequeathed by George Thackeray (1777-1850) an assistant master. The Museum contains over 16,000 specimens including several curiosities such as the Kakapo, a flightless parrot from New Zealand. 11) Dr John Keate Keate House was mainly built in 1788 and named after Dr John Keate (1773-1852), who was Headmaster of Eton from 1809 to 1834. He followed two weaker headmasters and was at first unpopular due to employment of stern methods. He wore a huge cocked hat long after it had been fashionable, and was said to look like an angry bulldog 'ever ready to explode into rage'. William Ewart Gladstone and Percy Bysshe Shelley were amongst his more famous pupils.

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