The Royal Cornwall Museum, the largest and most comprehensive in the county, has a permanent display on the history of Cornwall from the Stone Age to the present day, as well as the natural history of Cornwall, a world famous collection of minerals, a pre-eminent collection of ceramics, collections of ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, a changing display of fine and decorative art.
The main collections are: minerals - an internationally important collection of more than 10,000 specimens of outstanding quality and rarity. The most important part of this collection was formed by Philip Rashleigh (1729-1811), of Menabilly, and is one of the few 18th century collections of minerals to remain largely intact. Old master drawings - an outstanding collection of drawings from the Italian, French, Netherlandish and English schools. British artists include Hogarth, Gainsborough, Constable, Romney, Turner, Blake, Rossetti, Burne-Jones and Augustus John; Newlyn School - a large collection of paintings and drawings by artists such as Stanhope Forbes, Lamorna Birch, Frank Bramley, Walter Langley and Harold Harvey. Archaeology and local history - the archaeology collection ranges from the Palaeolithic to post-Medieval period, with an important Bronze Age collection of metalwork, pottery, stone and flint tools. The history of Cornwall from Medieval times to the present day is told through a selection of paintings, scientific instruments, leather, pottery, pewter, glass and silver linked to important people or events. There are also foreign collections of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Chinese and Japanese material.
The museum has a diverse range of temporary exhibitions, from photographs to textiles, old master drawings to natural history, many of which have free admission.
Open Monday to Saturday (last admission 4.30pm).
Free
View
all holiday accommodation in
Truro and St Mawes
|
The Leats,
Truro TR1 2SJ |
| Telephone:
01872 272 205
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