Exhibitions

2018 marks 100 years since the end of the First World War. To commemorate the centenary, Royal Cornwall Museum and Courtney Library staff, interns and volunteers have teamed up to create the online exhibition ‘Behind the Lines: Personal Stories of the First World War’.

Life studies by Nicholas C Williams with Old Master drawings selected by the artist from the collection of the Royal Cornwall Museum

This exhibition will display the museum’s current projects and offer a glimpse into the life of the Royal Institution of Cornwall’s collections.

The newly organised Main Gallery will tell the story of Cornwall’s technological advances from the beginnings of human activity to the present day using our own objects, interactive interpretation and a series of hands on workshops.

During our bi-centenary year, World Wide Wonders celebrates 200 years of global collecting at the RIC. This year-long exhibition will celebrate our diverse collections and their fascinating stories that have opened windows onto the world, both for us and for those who have come before us.

The title Hireth is a Cornish word for which there is no direct English translation. It describes an intangible feeling, a longing for the familiarity and comfort of a place.
Throughout the year and new selections will be made by a variety of community groups who will try to encapsulate what Cornwall means to them, jointly curating and interpreting the show with museum staff.