Royal Cornwall Museum

Royal Cornwall Museum
Established 1818
Location Truro, Cornwall
Coordinates 50°15′49″N 5°03′17″W / 50.2637°N 5.0548°W
Website royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk

The Royal Cornwall Museum is a museum in the city of Truro, Cornwall, England. It is the oldest museum in Cornwall and the leading museum of Cornish culture. Its exhibits include minerals, an unwrapped mummy and objects relating to Cornwall’s unique culture. It belongs to the Royal Institution of Cornwall which was founded in 1818 for "the promotion of knowledge in natural history, ethnology and the fine and industrial arts, especially in relation to Cornwall."

Collections

The museum has collections in the following areas:

The Courtney Library

The Courtney Library and Archive holds books, periodicals, archive material and ephemera relating to Cornwall and the South West of England. It commemorates the scholar William Prideaux Courtney.[2] It includes the extensive written records collected by the historian Charles G. Henderson and Henderson's own papers. In addition, there is an extensive photographic collection which records the history of Cornwall from 1845 to date.

The Courtney Library, accommodated above the departments of the museum, currently holds c. 50,000 printed volumes, 35,000 manuscripts and documents, newspapers from 1798, printed maps, periodicals and engravings. It specialises in family history and local history.

The building

The Grade II building which has housed the RIC since 1919 was built in 1845 as the Truro Savings Bank, and subsequently became Henderson’s Mining School. In 1986/7 the Institution acquired the adjacent Truro Baptist Chapel (1848). Together these substantial granite-fronted buildings (linked with a new foyer and shop in 1998) form an imposing street frontage at the centre of the historic city of Truro; both buildings were designed by the local architect Philip Sambell who was deaf without speech.

Access

Entry to the museum is free for children, while adults need to buy an annual pass. There may be an additional charge for some exhibitions. Most of the museum and library is accessible to wheelchair users: it has ramps and a lift.

Secure parking is available at nearby Moorfield, Pydar Street and Edward Street car parks. There are no disabled parking on site, however with prior notice (date and time) a space can be reserved in public car park at the front of the museum. It is normally possible for coaches to stop immediately outside the museum.

Toilet facilities are located on both floors of the museum. There are baby changing facilities on the first floor and toilets for the disabled on both floors.

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Geological Collection
  2. ↑ "Family of John Sampson Courtney of Penzance". Retrieved 2009-10-30.

External links