A Spring Concert
The Archive hosted a wonderful, sell out, evening of music at St Anta Church, Carbis Bay on Saturday 25 April. Our guests were two Cornish choirs, Lowena Voices, MD Alastair Taylor and The Ingleheart Singers, MD Claire Ingleheart. The audience heard songs from musicals, modern pop, folk and some shanties. The harmonies were terrific and…
Three Talks in February
Thank You to St Ives Arts Club, Janet Axten, Ethan Carney & Val Thomas. All donations will go towards our move expenses. More information here: https://youtu.be/_nnsk8GZXUE?si=2Y50ezPkQ_s6RzX4
Talks at the Festival
Tuesday 16 September 4.30pm PORTHMEOR STUDIOS, Back Road West Tickets: £8 Brushes Against Tradition –The Artistic Journeys of Frances Hodgkins and Edith Collier. Madie Parkinson-Evans provides a brief introduction to two women who are gaining deserved recognition. Thursday 25 September 2.30pm PORTHMEOR STUDIOS,Back Road West Tickets: £8 – Talk By Ethan Carney: Who Helped Hepworth? £8 TICKETS Friday…
Meet our Volunteers
Hello, my name is Wendy and I’ve been volunteering at the Archive since 2019. If someone asked me to describe in one word how I feel about being a volunteer, I would say without hesitation – proud. Proud of being part of a team who are dedicated to preserving the history of St Ives through…
Pop Up Shop
We are delighted to be hosting a pop up shop and a small exhibition during the September Festival. We are so grateful to be sponsored by the Pilchard Press, and will be in situ from 10:00 – 16:00 at the Salvation Army Hall on Sunday 21 September 2025. Come and see how plans for the…
Elaine Pearce
It is with great sadness that I have to inform you of the passing of one of our members. Elaine was our longest serving volunteer, supporting the Archive for over 25 years, as a Trustee for a period, but always as a specialist on family history, where she got to know people from Australia and…
Hepworth’s Legacy 50 Years On
Barbara Hepworth died 50 years ago on 20th May 1975 at her studio nestled in the heart of St Ives. She left a legacy in her will – the wish that her home and studio be preserved as a museum and sculpture garden for the enjoyment of visitors to St Ives. That legacy endures to…
Market House update
Since the last update report there has been significant progress in preparing the Market House for use by the Archive. In early 2024 The St Ives Archive and Town Council were fortunate enough to receive central government funding from the Community Ownership Fund and the Town Enterprise Grant to renovate the Market House in the…
St Ives Liz’s Quizzes Tretho Lounge 29 April 8pm
St Ives Archive are delighted to announce another quiz and raffle night hosted by St Ives Liz’s Quizzes. The quiz starts at 8pm and teams can be any size, at £5 per person. We look forward to seeing you there!
My Archive Story: Jan Harris
Hi, I am Jan Harris (née Janet Dyer for anyone who went to the Stennack Schol in the 1950s). I am delighted to be able to tell you how I came to be a volunteer at the St Ives Archive back in 2008, whilst the Archive was still in the Parish Rooms in St Andrew’s…
Engine Inn’s Charity of the Month
St Ives Archive have been very lucky to be selected as charity of the month at the Engine Inn at Cripplesease. This means the money raised from all fundraising events they hold in February will be donated to the Archive. Events include a quiz every Tuesday night in February. The quiz starts at 7.30pm…
My Archive Story: Ethan Carney
I’ve been a volunteer for almost 2 years now and I’m really enjoying it. I first became aware of the St Ives Archive in 2012. I was in Year 10 at school in St Ives and looking for a ‘work experience week’ placement. I’d always enjoyed history and wanted to find out more about the…
Overwhelming Support for St Ives Archive’s Move Back into Town
This year we opened the Market House in March and August to enable the local community and visitors to view the interiors for the first time in over 70 years. This has provided a great opportunity to share our thoughts with those who visited and to learn what potential future users might want from the…
St Ives Archive and St Ives Museum Joint Training Day
In October this year two heritage-based organisations in St Ives were fortunate to be awarded a training grant of £350 from the Association of Independent Museums (AIM). The grant was awarded for a conservator-led training day about the care of collections, held on 27 November 2024, which was well timed as both organisations are currently…
National Archives Grant Awarded to St Ives Archive
In October 2024 St Ives Archive was awarded one of three Resilience Grants by The National Archives. We will use the grant to undertake a collections’ care audit, carried out by qualified and experienced conservator Victoria Stevens. The audit will include a review of the existing collection and access policies, and it will make recommendations…
St Ives Archive Quiz with Raffle
You are invited to the Archive’s next Pub Quiz on Friday 1st November! The Quiz and Raffle will kick off at 7.30pm for an 8pm start at Polmanter Touring Park in St Ives. 🎟️ £5 per person 🙋 No limit on team numbers Let us know if you plan on attending and forming a team…
Hyman Segal, R.B.A.
There are probably many people living in St Ives today who remember Hyman Segal. He was a very popular, caring, animal-loving member of the community. Hyman was born in London in May 1914 and was blind for over two years in early childhood, possibly caused by measles. However, fortunately, he regained his sight and, at…
St Ives Archive is Looking for a Bookkeeper
We are looking to recruit a Bookkeeper to replace our current longstanding volunteer who has been helping with St Ives Archive’s bookkeeping for many years. This is an opportunity to join a friendly, volunteer-run local charitable organisation at an exciting time when we are looking forward to relocating to new premises in the Market House…
Alfred Wallis Talk Recap
On 16 September as part of the St Ives Festival, one of our volunteers, Ethan Carney, gave a stimulating talk on St Ives artist Alfred Wallis to a large turn out at Porthmeor Studios. The audience were totally engaged in Ethan’s narrative and enjoyed a number of fascinating images. Many questions were asked at the…
Tea & Trains at Tregenna Castle: In the Press
See below for The St Ives Times & Echo’s recap of the celebratory Tea & Trains event at Tregenna Castle on the 6th September. St Ives Archive would like to thank all who supported us at the event, especially Richard Long and Tregenna Castle Resort for its generosity in creating this important fundraiser for us.…
Progressing The Market House
During this year we have held a number of Open Days at the Market House to enable the community to enjoy access to the space for the first time in 75 years. These days have been so successful that many people already think we have moved in! In reality, there is a lot of work…
St Ives Archive Talks and Walks at the 2024 September Festival
Monday 16th September Alfred Wallis: Mariner to Artist to Inspiration Discover the life and work of Alfred Wallis, a mariner turned artist who inspired many St Ives artists with the paintings he made in his cottage in St Ives. Join Ethan Carney from St Ives Archive for a biographical talk, with quotes and images throughout…
Market House Open Day on 16th August
St Ives Archive invite you to view the historical Market House, which will be our new home after restoring the first floor and transforming it into a modern facility for reference, display and study with access for all.
St Ives Archive Oral History Project
To hear a person speak of past times adds a reality to history that words often fail to achieve. Some time ago, the St Ives Archive initiated an Oral History Project for St Ives. Many people had their memories of St Ives recorded and subsequently transcribed. These transcriptions became part of the Archive. The Archive…
Tea & Trains at Tregenna Castle
Join us for a celebratory afternoon tea with Richard Long, author of The St Ives Branch Line: A History, at Tregenna Castle on 6th September 2024 with all proceeds to the St Ives Archive. Marking the 250th anniversary of Tregenna Castle, the celebrations kick off at 2pm. Throughout the afternoon, you will enjoy a cocktail or glass of Prosecco…
Castle Class: Celebrating 250 Years of Tregenna Castle
Lyn Burchess of St Ives Archive celebrates the 250th anniversary of Tregenna Castle in St Ives with stories of secret passages, the visit of a crown prince, steam locomotives and hosting US President Joe Biden. This year marks the 250th anniversary of Tregenna Castle in St Ives, Cornwall. Originally the country house of Squire Samuel…
The History of the Old Stennack School in Venture Magazine
Atkins Ferrie Wealth Management Services occupies an office in the cookhouse at the back of the old Stennack School in St Ives. The former school has a rich history as a building and holds fond memories for many local community members who were educated there. AFWM asked the St Ives Archive to research the history of the…
St Ives and RMS Titanic
The 15th April 2024 marks the 112th anniversary of the most famous shipwreck of all and a chance to look at the fate of St Ives’ Titanic passengers. Of 2,233 on board, 7 were from our town. AGNES DAVIES (née FRIGGENS), her son JOHN and friend MAUDE SINCOCK (née ROBERTS), were among the 705 picked…
St Ives Archive and St Ives Town Council Secure Funding for Market House Move
St Ives Town Council Joint Press Release 25th March 2024 St Ives Archive is on the move, as the partnership between the Archive and the Town Council secures Government Funding St Ives Town Council, working in close partnership with St Ives Archive, are thrilled to announce that Community Ownership funding has been secured to help the relocation of…
St Ives Archive is Coming to Town!
In 2023, St Ives Town Council approached the Trustees of St Ives Archive and offered them a permanent home – Market House in Market Place. It is a perfect partnership, enabling the guardians of St Ives history to breathe life once again into this important building, which was Grade II listed in 1972. The Market…
Market House Open Day on 28th March
St Ives Archive invite you to view the historical Market House, which will be our new home after restoring the first floor and transforming it into a modern facility for reference, display and study with access for all. While the restoration project is still in the early stages, we are excited to open the doors…
St Ives Archive Open Day at the Market House on 15th December
Archive aweigh! St Ives Archive invites you to an Open Day at the Market House on the 15th December from 10:00am – 15:00pm. The St Ives Archive is on the move, having been in its present home for the last five years in Carbis Bay an opportunity has arisen to move into the town centre again.…
The Night of the Cintra Gale – 130 Years Later
Today marks the 130th anniversary (17 November 1893) of a notorious night/early morning in St Ives Bay when five ships were wrecked on what became known as the Night of the Cintra Gale. A crankshaft broke loose in the engine room of steamer Hampshire, tearing a massive hole in the hull. The ship went down within an hour 10 miles north…
2024 St Ives Archive Calendar – Preview and How to Buy
Featuring images from the St Ives Archive’s large photography collection, our 2024 calendar showcases photos of St Ives from the past and the present. Each month is a different scene around town — from the Harbour to the High Street — taking you on a nostalgic trip through time. Calendars are £13 each including postage…
The History of Halsetown: An Illustrated Talk by Tony Liddicoat
Join St Ives Archive volunteer Tony Liddicoat for his illustrated talk on the history of Halsetown at the Balnoon Inn on Thursday 16th November. The talk is free to attend (no booking required) and will begin at 7.30pm with food and drinks available on the night. Donations to the Archive will be collected at the…
Plagues, Pandemics and Epidemics Through History: Part 2
Smallpox and Cholera with Particular Reference to S.W. England By: Dr John Sell Smallpox For a long time, it was thought that smallpox was one of the most devastating diseases of mankind for over 5,000 years, the earliest known cases being in Egypt or India. More recently doubt has been cast on the antiquity of…
St Ives Archive at the September Festival 2023
St Ives Archive is delighted to return to this year’s St Ives September Festival with two guided history walks and a specialist talk about Troika ceramics. Archive Trustee Tony Mason will be leading the ‘The History and Mystery of St Ives’ on the two Wednesdays of the Festival – 13th and 20th September – and…
St Ives Archive Celebrates World Photography Day
In celebration of World Photography Day on August 19, St Ives Archive is putting on a special one-week photo sale featuring 16 limited edition prints by local photographers. Beginning this Saturday and lasting until August 26, the photographs – all taken of St Ives by emerging artists and established professionals alike – will be available…
Plagues, Pandemics and Epidemics Through History: Part 1
Introduction and the Black Death with Particular Reference to S.W. England By: Dr John Sell The first living things on earth were single celled organisms from which all other life forms developed. What many people have still to realise is that we are still totally dependent on them to produce an environment in which the…
Plans for a new Archive to Unlock the Secrets of Market House
St Ives Town Council Joint Press Release 21 June 2023 Plans for a new Archive to Unlock the Secrets of Market House St Ives Town Council, working in close partnership with St Ives Archive are about to embark upon an exciting new heritage project to create an Archive Resource Centre in the centre of the town. The…
St Ives History Walk with Tony Mason: Summer Series
St Ives Archive Trustee Tony Mason leads a 90-120 minute stroll from Porthminster Beach to Porthmeor Beach.
Volunteers’ Week: Meet the St Ives Archive Team
This Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June), St Ives Archive is celebrating their amazing volunteers without whom we would not be able to do the important heritage work that we do. While every day is Volunteers’ Day to us, we are excited to share our endless appreciation for everything that they do with the wider community. From…
1953 Coronation Street Party: Remembering the Day
On the 7th April 2023, St Ives Archive volunteer Wendy Grove submitted the photo below to the Times & Echo inviting readers to get in touch if they recognised anybody in the photograph. Shortly after, Brian Mitchell contacted the Archive and asked if we had any more photos of the event – fortunately, we did.…
St Ives Archive Secret Photo Show in the Press
St Ives Archive is delighted to have their first Secret Photo Show featured in the St Ives Times & Echo and The Cornishman. If you missed reading about the recent photography show in print, we have shared digital copies of the articles below. A special thank you to Archive Trustee Celeste Allen for bringing the…
Just Where Is Chitta?
Here at St Ives Archive we take an interest in anything connected to the history and life of the town and area. So when our attention was drawn to an article in the Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries which claimed that Lelant was probably the target of a Spanish raid in 1405 which left…
Secret Photo Show: Meet the Photographers
For the first time, St Ives Archive is collaborating with local photographers to put on the Secret Photo Show, a two-day art sale to raise money for the Archive. The show will include works by a talented group of photographers from a range of specialities and expertise. All photos, to go on display next week,…
St Ives Archive’s New Catalogue System
The refresh of our website has spurred us on to modernise our Archive “catalogue”. For many years we have been using two separate systems, one for recording scanned photographs and the other for recording acquisitions. In order to provide a single web browser-based search facility we have, with the help of Cornwall Council Cultivator funding,…
Celebrating the Life and Legacy of John Passmore Edwards
The Archive Centre was asked to put together a display to celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of John Passmore Edwards. Over the past few months, two volunteers sifted through the information and photographs held in the archives and put together a display to be held at the St Ives Library. From humble beginnings, Passmore…
Cornwall Heritage Trust CEO Visits St Ives Archive
The St Ives Archive are delighted to have been featured in the launch edition of Cornwall Heritage Trust’s new magazine, An Gwithyas, which is Cornish for ‘The Custodian’. Written by Cornwall Heritage Trust’s CEO, Cathy Woolcock, the article recounts Cathy’s first visit to the Archive, including a pleasant discovery of family photographs from our collection.…
2023 St Ives Archive Calendar On Sale Now
A photo of St Ives has been selected for every month from the Archive’s extensive database. This year’s calendar in particular features a selection of photographs by Andrew Lanyon. You can purchase our calendar by visiting the Shop page or by visiting the Archive during our opening hours.
Pop-up Archive
St Ives Archive opened a pop-up Archive at 1A Bedford Road, St Ives, between the 12th and 17th September as part of this year’s St Ives September Festival. The purpose of the pop-up was to raise awareness of the wealth of local historical information that is held by St Ives Archive in their Research Centre…
St Ives September Festival
St Ives Archive is excited to have been a part of this year’s St Ives September Festival! In addition to having a ‘Pop-up Archive’ during the Festival, there were guided walks and specialist history talks around town. A huge thank you to Trustee Tony Mason, social historian Janet Axten, volunteer Madie Parkinson-Evans and all of…