Royal Cornwall Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1818 |
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| Location | Truro, Cornwall |
The Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro, Cornwall, is a fantastic place to explore history and art. It has a huge collection of minerals, showing off Cornwall's rich mining past. You can also see beautiful artworks that tell the story of the county's creative side.
The museum also connects Cornwall to the rest of the world. It has a special display of ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman items, with help from the famous British Museum. This means you can see real artifacts from thousands of years ago!
The museum is part of the Royal Institution of Cornwall (RIC). This group is a learned society and a charity, meaning they work to share knowledge and help the community.
Contents
Discover the Museum's Collections
The Royal Cornwall Museum is home to many amazing things. It helps visitors learn about Cornwall's history, its art, and its connections to other cultures around the globe.
Minerals and Art
Cornwall is famous for its mining history, and the museum shows this off with a large collection of minerals. These rocks and crystals tell the story of how people worked the land here.
The museum also has a great art collection. It includes works by famous artists like Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson. You can see paintings and sculptures that show the beauty and spirit of Cornwall.
Ancient Egypt and Beyond
One of the most exciting parts of the museum is its ancient collection. You can see real objects from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
- Iset-tayef-nakht: The museum is home to a real Egyptian mummy! His name is Iset-tayef-nakht, and he was a temple priest around 600 BC. His mummified body and two coffins were brought to the UK a long time ago. Scientists have even used X-rays and CT scans to learn more about him without unwrapping him completely.
Special Cornish Items
The museum also has unique items from Cornwall itself:
- The Trewinnard Coach: This old coach dates back to around 1700. It's a great example of how people traveled centuries ago.
- The Artognou stone: This important stone was found at Tintagel Castle, a famous historical site in Cornwall.
The Courtney Library
The Courtney Library is a special part of the museum. It holds many books, magazines, and old documents. These materials are all about Cornwall and the South West of England. It's a great resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the area's past.
The Museum Building
The building where the museum is located has a long history. It was built in 1845 as a savings bank. Later, it became a mining school.
In 1986, the museum group bought the building next door, which used to be a chapel. Both buildings were designed by a local architect named Philip Sambell. He was deaf and could not speak, which makes his work even more amazing. The two buildings are now connected and stand out in the center of Truro.
Museum's Journey
The Royal Cornwall Museum has been around for a long time, since 1818. Like many museums, it sometimes faces challenges.
In 2022, Cornwall Council announced they might stop funding the museum. This made people worry that the museum might have to close. However, the Council later gave the museum some money. This help was meant to give the museum time to find new ways to get funding and keep its doors open for everyone.
Getting There
The easiest way to reach the Royal Cornwall Museum by train is to go to Truro railway station.
See also
- Kehillat Kernow
