Museum News
In my last blog for the museum, I wrote about the play that museum supporter Patrick Carroll wrote. His play was inspired by the grave of Evaristo Muchovela in Wendron. As I listened to the play and wrote the blog, several questions were circling in my mind. Why did Thomas Johns have a slave when
Museum News
Since I began my role as part of the Imperial War Museum (IWM)-backed Second World War partnership programme at the Museum of Cornish Life almost three months ago, I have enjoyed the unique privilege of receiving many family stories which have been generously shared by friends of the museum and members of the public. As
Museum News
This ‘under the eaves’ feature follows a different route to a curious story about a master, Thomas Johns and his former slave, a black man, Evaristo Muchovela, who came to live in Cornwall in the 1860s. He died in 1868 and his grave is in Wendron churchyard. One of the objects in the museum is
Museum News
What was everyday life like in Cornwall during the Second World War? What kind of sights, sounds and smells would have greeted the many visitors and newcomers who found themselves in the county as a consequence of this momentous conflict? At the Museum of Cornish Life, in collaboration with Bodmin Keep, we have recently embarked
Museum News
“Can you spot me?”, isn’t that just what we say when we look at old school photos? So many visitors at the Museum do this when they reach the school photos in the link corridor between the Meat Market and Drill Hall. We look for ourselves or a relative, peering at the tiny faces all
Museum News
Fascinated by ancient Egypt since I was a child, the opportunity to research a previously unknown case of Egyptian artefacts in the museum was one I could not pass by. Although I am by no means an Egyptologist, I want to share with you some insights into a few of the artefacts that have been
Museum News
Join us online for our annual animation take-over, developed in partnership with Cornwall Film Festival and Falmouth University. To Watch: We are sharing with you a range of films selected by the museum and our partners. The animations explore all aspects of life and its challenges. Please be aware some young children or adults may
Museum News
It is coming up to a month now since I started as the new Finds Liaison Officer for Cornwall and I just want to take a moment to reflect on what I’ve learnt since my position began. Starting a new job in lockdown was never going to be easy. Admittedly, there is a LOT to
Museum News
Tucked at the back of the Victorian classroom is a cabinet with a small collection of Egyptian artefacts. In my time circumnavigating the museum looking for objects and peering into corners, I confess that I have never noticed it. My route to it came from trying to work out what had been folded into the
Museum News
Mintz has provided estimates of sugar consumption at the turn of the last few centuries. He estimates that Britain’s per capita consumption of sugar was as follows: To keep these figures in context, today, the consumption is around 106lbs per person – or 22 teaspoons of sugar per week. It is no wonder that sugar