Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery facts for kids
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| Established | 1818 |
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| Location | Truro, Cornwall |
The Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery is a super interesting place in Truro, England. It used to be called the Royal Cornwall Museum. This museum has a huge collection of minerals, which shows off Cornwall's amazing history of mining and engineering. You can also see lots of art that celebrates Cornwall's creative side.
The museum also has a special library called the Courtney Library. This library is full of old books and important papers. They help people learn more about life and culture in Cornwall. The museum also teaches about how Cornwall connects with the rest of the world. Many people from Cornwall moved to other countries in the 1800s. Plus, there's a cool exhibit with ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman items. The famous British Museum helps with this exhibit.
The museum is part of a group called the Royal Institution of Cornwall (RIC). This group is a charity that helps people learn.
Contents
The Courtney Library: A Treasure Trove
The Courtney Library and Archive is a special part of the museum. It keeps many books, magazines, and old documents. These items are all about Cornwall and the South West of England. It's a great place for anyone wanting to discover more about the area's past.
The Museum Building: A Historic Home
The museum is located in a beautiful old building. It was built way back in 1845. First, it was a bank called the Truro Savings Bank. Later, it became a mining school. In 1986, the museum group bought the building next door. This was the Truro Baptist Chapel, built in 1848.
Both buildings are made of granite and look very grand in the center of Truro. They were connected in 1998 with a new entrance and shop. A local architect named Philip Sambell designed both buildings. He was deaf and could not speak, which makes his work even more amazing!
Museum History: Keeping the Doors Open
In July 2022, the local council said they might stop giving money to the museum. This made people worry that the museum might have to close. But in October 2022, the council gave the museum £100,000. This money helped the museum find other ways to get funding.
Thanks to new funding, the mineral gallery was updated in early 2024. This means visitors can now enjoy the amazing mineral collection even more!
Amazing Collections: What You Can See
The museum has many incredible things to see. One of the oldest items is the Trewinnard Coach, which is from around the year 1700. You can also see the Artognou stone. This important stone was found at Tintagel Castle.
Since 2011, the museum has also looked after Cornwall Council's Schools Art Collection. This collection includes art by famous artists like Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson.
The Ancient Egyptian Mummy
The museum is home to a real Egyptian mummy! His name is Iset-tayef-nakht. He was a temple priest who lived about 600 BC. His mummified body and two coffins were sent to the UK a long time ago. In 1828, his mummy was carefully unwrapped. Later, it was re-wrapped using some of the original bandages.
Iset-tayef-nakht was moved to the Royal Institution of Cornwall in the late 1930s. Scientists have studied him several times. In 1969, they used X-rays to look at his remains. In 2012, they even did a CT scan to learn more about him without unwrapping him again. It's a fascinating way to learn about ancient Egypt!
See also
- Kehillat Kernow
