A donated collection of birds eggs was to prove the first step to a museum being created in Luton. In July 1915 the eggs were put on display in a showcase in the reference section of the Carnegie Library, which would in 1927 house the town's museum until the opening of Wardown in 1931.

In a Bedfordshire Advertiser story headed "Proposed museum" on July 30th, 1915, it was reported that the hope was expressed at a meeting of Luton Town Council on Tuesday [July 27th] that at some future date Luton would have a museum, and the question arose through the gift of what should prove a very valuable nucleus for this. In the Public Library there has been installed a cabinet of British birds eggs, and the story of the acquisition was told by Alderman H. Arnold, Chairman of the Libraries Committee.

Some little time ago, he said, he had a conversation with Mr G. H. Latchmore (manager of Barclay's Bank in Luton), who spoke of the desirability of a museum for the town, and he said he hoped the time was not too far distant when they would have an institution of this kind of which the town might be well proud.

He then referred to some friends of his whose father, who was an excellent ornithologist, but had died and left a very valuable collection of British eggs. Alderman Arnold was asked if he thought the Library Committee would be prepared to accept such a gift, and he replied that he thought the committee would be only too glad to do so.

The idea had materialised, and now at the library there was a very fine collection of eggs presented by the son and daughter of the late Mr John Howson Willmore, and housed in a very fine cabinet presented by Mr Latchmore.

The Mayor (Councillor Walter Primett) remarked that they did not get a present like this every day. He did not know of a better collection of eggs. They were splendidly mounted, and some of the youngsters had already been to see them. It was worthy of any museum in the kingdom, and they were greatly indebted as a Corporation and as a town to the donors."

The Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph the following day said there was not another collection to compare with it nearer than London and neither this county not any other near it possessed so splendid a collection.

Mr Latchmore, a cousin of Mr Willmore, had visited the Kensington Museum and interviewed Mr Wells, an authority on ornithology, and as a result Mr Wells undertook the classification and arrangement. He also selected the cabinet, which is of polished mahogany, the not inconsiderable expense of which was met by Mr Latchmore.

The Saturday Telegraph pointed out that the gift would have been on view sooner but for a regrettable accident. The van on which it was being conveyed from London overturned and some of the drawers and their contents were broken. It had to be returned for repairs, and Mr Latchmore was fortunate enough to be able to obtain duplicates of the damaged eggs.

Ornithologist Mr Willmore had lived as a boy in Leighton Buzzard, where his father was manager of Barclay's Bank. John Willmore started work at the bank but then became a master in his brother's school, Queenswood College, Hampshire. It was while there that the nucleus of the egg collection was obtained.

Later, Mr Willmore rejoined Barclay's Bank, at Ampthill, where he subsequently became manager. He died early in 1910 at the age of 71, and the collection of 19 drawers of eggs was presented to Luton by his son and daughter, via Mr Latchmore.

It was to be a further 12 years before a fledging museum was created in the Carnegie Library. In the meantime, a committee was set up in 1925 with a view to creating a museum and art gallery in Wardown House. Thomas Wyatt Bagshawe, who was to become its first honorary curator, and The Luton News led a campaign.

The museum was finally opened at Wardown on July 1st, 1931, by eminent mineralogist Sir Henry Meirs.