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OH Thomas Harrisson remembered in The Independent

The Independent, 20 September 2018: Mass-Observation: How the social movement is still alive and kicking after more than 80 years.

In September, The Independent ran a story about anthropologist, ornithologist and Old Harrovian Tom Harrisson (Newlands 1925³), who founded the social research organisation Mass Observation in 1937.

Son of Brigadier General G.H. Harrison, Thomas continued after Harrow to Pembroke College, Cambridge, before beginning his career as an explorer in Lapland, Borneo and New Hebrides. He became a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (F.R.G.S) and was, for three years, a radio critic. His writings include Birds of N.W. Middlesex, Savage Civilisation and numerous other pamphlets and articles.

Thomas served as a Major with the Australian Forces in World War Two and was awarded a Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O). After the war, he became a Government Anthropologist and Curator of the Museum at Sarawak, on Malaysian Borneo. Despite this varied career, he is perhaps best remembered for his work with Mass Observation.

For more information, visit the Mass Observation Archive, which is today in the care of the University of Sussex.