Porthleven has become the first community to ‘take over’ part of the National Maritime Museum Cornwall with an exhibition charting more than 200 years of history.
The museum in Falmouth handed over one of its galleries to a community group from the port, to curate an exhibition based on the town’s history.
Entitled Porthleven - A Journey Through Time, it brings together historic objects, local stories, old photographs and archive film footage to reveal tales of everyday heroism and kindness as well as industry and commercial innovation.
It also shines a light on Porthleven’s mining and farming heritage, as well as its harbour activities told through some of the local families of the area.
The exhibition focuses on local characters and businesses such as Elsie Holloway who worked at The Commercial Hotel, Oliver Allen, a netmaking company, and the Strike family who have dedicated more than 200 years’ worth of voluntary hours to the coastguard service.
Historic objects on display include a photograph and tariff from The Commercial Hotel, which is now The Harbour Inn.
The perfectly preserved tariff from the early 1900s gives a fascinating insight into what food the visitors could enjoy – cold meats and salads and cheese, or chops at two shillings. A fire in your room cost an extra one shilling and six pence.
A glimpse of the exhibition. Image: NMMC
Alan Ziemann, from the group of Porthleveners who created the exhibition, said: "It is with much pride that Porthleven was invited by National Maritime Museum in Cornwall to exhibit what is only a very small window of Porthleven's unique history.
“We hope visitors to the museum enjoy discovering more about our wonderful town and its heritage.”
Mr Ziemann has been working with Porthleven Museum founder Mike Carter to create digital museum as a non-profit community resource.
The project “snowballed”, leading to the exhibition in Falmouth.
Sarah Riddle, National Maritime Museum Cornwall’s curator, said: “Providing community groups with a space to celebrate and showcase their history - using their research, words and objects - is incredibly important in helping communities see the museum as belonging to them.
“We hope that this exhibition leads the way in encouraging communities to preserve their history, and who knows, perhaps also becoming the next community group to take over the gallery space.”
It is the latest project for Porthleven Museum, which in September received Heritage Lottery funding, some of which will be used to create an interactive website to improve the visitor experience.
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