Tickets
Dates
Open during our usual opening hours: Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday 9.30am-4pm
About this event
Discover why Cornwall was the centre of global communications and why students from around the world wanted to study engineering in Camborne and Porthcurno.
This exhibition brings together the PK Porthcurno archive and the Kresen Kernow mining collections – both recognised for their worldwide significance in the histories of mining and telecommunications. Usually told in terms of technological advancements, we have looked instead for archives that change this familiar story and illustrate how these industries were used by the British Empire to its own advantage in southern Africa.
From sporting clubs and apprenticeships to specialised engineering courses and telecommunications training, we also explore the stories of international students who studied in Cornwall at Camborne School of Mines, Holman Brothers of Camborne and the Cable & Wireless Engineering College at Porthcurno – all known around the world to offer the best training in these fields.
This exhibition is free to visit during our usual opening hours.
Accessibility
Details
Kresen Kernow is fully wheelchair and pushchair accessible, with lifts to all levels and automatic main entrance doors. Accessible toilets are available on both floors, with a fully-equipped Changing Places toilet also available on the ground floor. Separate baby changing facilities are also available on the ground floor. If you are arriving by vehicle, there are six accessible parking spaces at the Tesco side of the building and a level entrance into the building. If you are arriving on foot or wheels, from Redruth town centre, the closest entrance is at the end of the public path which runs through the old brewery site, from Chapel Street to Kresen Kernow.
Facilities
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£0 — £0
Sat 30th May, 2026
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Thu 4th Jun, 2026
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Sat 6th Jun, 2026
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£20 — £20
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