by Lisa Di Tommaso | May 30, 2026 | Blog, Exhibition, Images, Morrab Library
After our first display of the library’s copy of the Great Bible in our new exhibition case over the last few months, it is now time for it to return to storage and be rested, while we unveil our second exhibition.
For over two centuries, our library collections have grown through donations, bequests and purchases, creating a somewhat serendipitous array of manuscripts, correspondence and volumes. As a result, a number of notable people’s signatures have been discovered, and we are excited to exhibit just a few in this display.
Ernest Shackleton: Pig Book (1908-1909), MOR/COL/32
A Pig Book was an autograph book, popular in Edwardian times, which houseguests were invited to sign after having drawn a pig whilst blindfolded. It contains many signatures, including Ellen Terry, J.M. Barrie, Robert Baden Powell, Robert Falcon Scott and this one, from Ernest Shackleton (1874–1922) , the great Antarctic explorer.
Charlotte Bronte (1816-55), MOR/BRO/1
A letter from Charlotte to her friend Ellen Nussey, dated c. October 1851. It mentions a family cow and the dangers of doctors!
Donated by Prebendary Hedgeland, Honorary Librarian 1882 – 1889.
William Wordsworth (1770 – 1850): Letter to Hugh Seymour Tremenheere, 16th December, 1845 TR2/59B
As well as belonging to a distinguished Cornish family, Tremenheere (1804-1903) was an academic, barrister and worked as an inspector of both mines and schools. It is in the latter capacity that Wordsworth writes to him to suggest that “Knowledge inculcated by the Teacher or derived under her management from books” may be “too exclusively dwelt upon, so as almost to put of sight that which comes without being sought for from intercourse with nature”. And he goes on to say that “too little attention is paid to books of imagination” for “we must not only have knowledge, but the means of wielding it” which is done “more through the imaginative faculty assisting both in the collection and application of facts than is generally believed”. The importance of the imagination and experiencing the natural world, particularly for children, is ever present in Wordsworth’s oeuvre, and in his own poetic and personal growth as depicted in works like The Prelude.
William Ewart Gladstone (1809-1898): Signed letter to Hugh Seymour Tremenheere, TR2/62/82
When appointed a CB (Companion of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath) in 1871, Tremenheere wrote to the Prime Minister to complain that the mere title of ‘Inspector of Mines’ in the official announcement did not fully recognise the extent of his public service. Gladstone signed the reply to Tremenheere, confirming the oversight could not be altered, while acknowledging that his public services were duly appreciated by the Government and also, he thought, recognised more widely.
Charles Kingsley (1819 to 1875): Letter to Hugh Seymour Tremenheere, TR2/62/110
The year before his death in 1875, whilst Canon of Westminster, the Devon author Charles Kingsley (Water Babies and Westward Ho!) wrote to Tremenheere, praising the latter’s cousin, William Copeland Borlase (1848 – 1899), on his book on Cornish tin. Kingsley apologises for his bad hand writing – attributed to whitlow on his middle finger!
John le Carré (1931-2020): signed text of his inauguration speech when becoming President of the Morrab Library, 1997, LIB/114
David Cornwell, better known by his pen name John le Carré, was a passionate supporter and friend of Morrab Library for many years. As well as holding the role of President from 1997-2002, he later continued for many years as our Patron. His relationship with the Library stretched even further back to the 1970’s. On the occasion of his taking on the role of President of the library in February 1992, Mr le Carré made a charming and insightful speech, providing insight into his own life as well as his obvious love for the Morrab. A full text of the speech can be found John Le Carre President speech 1997.
Winston Graham (1908-2003): Christmas card to friends, undated, LIT/17/2
Winston Graham is best known for his Poldark series of historical novels set in Cornwall, though he also wrote numerous other works, including contemporary thrillers, period novels, short stories, non-fiction and plays. He was great friends with Stella (1925 – 2017) and Frank (1911-1996) Turk, renowned naturalists and scientists, and members of the library. This Christmas card from Mr. Graham is to the Turks. We’ve also included a photograph sent to the Turks showing Mr Graham alongside the actor John Bowe, who took on the role of Poldark for television in 1996.
by Lisa Di Tommaso | May 24, 2026 | Blog, Images, Morrab Library, Photographic Archive
Here is the second in a series of blogs written by our Photo Archive intern Sam Hill. Read on to discover more about the relationship between humans and marine creatures, told through our photographic collections.
Warning: This blog features images of marine animals in distress.
The maritime communities of Cornwall are no strangers to creatures of the deep. For centuries, brave fishermen have spun yarns and stories of mermaids, sea serpents, and spectral ships, but what happens when these creatures are captured on film and preserved in the archive?
Okay, I would be lying to you if I said that mermaids and sea monsters had been captured on camera. But Cornish men and women have faced REAL monsters of the deep. This blog will use photographic evidence to explore the various ways maritime communities interacted with “creatures of the deep” and what this can reveal about their relationship with marine wildlife.
One of the major means of interaction is through fishing. The fishing industry was primarily concerned with pilchards, mackerel and herring, but in many cases, larger animals were also caught. This is apparent in image 1, as the photo encapsulates how a hardy Cornish fisherman has reacted to capturing such a huge lobster- by stoically scowling and smoking a cigarette (presumably to calm his nerves!).
Image 1: Fisherman Holding a Large Lobster, 1911-30. https://photoarchive.morrablibrary.org.uk/items/show/11276
In some cases, fishermen revelled in the opportunity to pose with creatures captured at sea. Image 2 displays the sheer pride of the men capturing a Blue Shark along the coast. The capture of these creatures of the deep caused additional logistical problems for fishermen trying to get their catch to market, with Image 3 demonstrating how a large sturgeon caused a hand-drawn cart to be hauled by three able workmen!
Image 2: Captured Blue Shark held by Crewmen, 1934. https://photoarchive.morrablibrary.org.uk/items/show/11287
Image 3: Men with Sturgeon, 1936 https://photoarchive.morrablibrary.org.uk/items/show/11297
A second, yet unfortunate way these interactions occurred was through animals becoming stranded on Cornwall’s beaches. The use of photography to capture these events reveals the morbid curiosity of people to examine the appearance, size, and number of creatures that washed up on nearby shores.
Image 4: Group Looking at Basking Shark, Lighthouse Pier, Newlyn https://photoarchive.morrablibrary.org.uk/items/show/11280
Image 5: Crowd, beached whales Eastern Green Beach https://photoarchive.morrablibrary.org.uk/items/show/11266
This curiosity is vividly captured in Images 4 and 5. In both photographs, well-dressed crowds gather to observe the fate of a pod of whales and a basking shark. This fascination a nd the event itself led to the stranded whales being depicted in the postcards shown in Images 6 and 7.
Image 6: Postcard, Whales Stranded in Mounts Bay https://photoarchive.morrablibrary.org.uk/items/show/16793
Image 7: Postcard Whales Stranded in Mount’s Bay https://photoarchive.morrablibrary.org.uk/items/show/16792
A further way in which communities interacted with such animals was through the imagination of local people. This links back to the yarn-spinning of yesteryear, but the technology of the 20th century encapsulated how people created and showed off these so-called “creatures of the deep.”
A so-called “shark” was presented to a puzzled yet intrigued crowd on a beach in Image 8. The image shows how a group of fishermen or sailors clearly saw a humorous opportunity to carve a piece of driftwood to appear as a captured basking shark. This type of hoax was repeated years later, as Image 9 shows a proud group of men holding a very strange animal “captured” from the deep.
Image 8: Group of People Looking at a Wooden Shark https://photoarchive.morrablibrary.org.uk/items/show/18606
Image 9: Men Holding Wooden Shark https://photoarchive.morrablibrary.org.uk/items/show/20140
The use of the Morrab’s Photo Archive reveals the various interactions that maritime communities had to the maritime wildlife of the area. The photographs’ ability to capture the visual reactions, the fascination, and the imagination of people of these intriguing occurrences are very important for understanding how our own reactions to such animals have been shaped.
If you are interested in marine wildlife, maritime communities, or photographs more generally, I would implore you to take time to look through the Photo Archive held by the Morrab Library, all available to search for free via their website: https://morrablibrary.org.uk/photo-archive/
Sam Hill
by Lisa Di Tommaso | May 17, 2026 | Images, Morrab Library, News, Photographic Archive
Hello readers!
My name is Samuel Hill, and I’m a History PhD student from the University of Exeter. As a requirement of my PhD being funded by the ESRC SWDTP (Economic and Social Research Centre Southwest Doctoral Training Program), I have the requirement of undertaking a three months’ work placement within any institution of my choice – with my choice being Morrab Library!
My main historical interests are the social history of the southwest, with my thesis exploring the lives of maritime communities in Devon, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly between 1750 and 1899. My thesis is exploring the various acts of resistance like smuggling, wrecking, and food rioting during times of social and economic hardship.
The reason I chose the Morrab Library for my work placement was simple. Throughout my studies, I have made numerous trips to Penzance to use the library’s broad collection of historical documents and books. Like many who use the library, I have a great fondness for the library’s incredible building, gardens, and the amazing staff who have always made me feel very welcome and supported!
My role within the library will see me work within the Morrab’s Photo Archive. The archive possesses over 17,000 photos from the local area and beyond, and it beautifully details a wide range of subjects including agriculture, community life, hobbies, leisure, working lives, schools and youth groups, transport, and even a good section on cats!
Fortunately for me, the Photo Archive possesses a broad range of photographs that beautifully illustrate the lives of maritime communities within the region. My role will be to continue to update the tags and descriptions of the collection, with my particular focus being on the fascinating range of shipwreck photos. During my time here, I will be writing blogs, an article, and deliver a talk that uses the photographic evidence to illustrate the lived experiences of these unique communities.
I hope that these blogs are of particular interest to visitors of the library and that the photos you see within the blogs inspire you to have a look at the collection! You can view them here via this link: https://morrablibrary.org.uk/photo-archive/
The Photo Archives team are available to visit in the library on Thursday mornings between 10.00am and 1.00pm, so drop in to say hello and find out more about the collections.
by Lisa Di Tommaso | Jul 29, 2021 | Blog, Images, Photographic Archive
This blog comes from one of our dedicated team of volunteers who work in the library’s Photo Archive. David and his colleagues are the people who scan and provide context to the thousands of images that end up on the Photo Archive website ( http://photoarchive.morrablibrary.org.uk/ ), available for you to peruse and enjoy. David has given us a brilliant insight into his role as a volunteer, but also reveals his brilliant piece of detective work in identifying one particular image – an act of perseverance and detective work which would put Sherlock Holmes to shame….
I volunteer in the photo archive as part of a team and see this as a great privilege to work in this wonderful library. This work is like no other; there is no pressure other than to carry out the task with great care, archive many photos, negatives and slides so that they are preserved forever. Preservation sleeves are used to protect them before they are put into conservation boxes for storage.
The room that I work in is new with views across the gardens – a lovely environment. As I sit at my desk, I have a PC and a scanner which must talk to one another if the photo is to arrive in its place in the digital collection. Once logged on then the process begins. This involves allocating a collection number to the photo before it is scanned. The computer programme allows me to add the data such as description, date, location, name of person or group. If it is a ship then the name and date is useful information. A facility also allows me to pinpoint the location on a map if known.
This is the easy part if the information pre-exists but often the process involves searching like a detective to identify the aforementioned essentials. I use books and the internet but there are also many photos in albums which have information about places and dates. All of this takes time but is very enjoyable. If the photographer is named then a search can provide interesting information about their work which is then added.
Fashions in clothing are always changing and it is interesting whilst compiling a collection, to note how fashion changed from the Victorian age and into the Edwardian era. Clothing becomes lighter and less dark and heavy. Women must have found life much easier. It is fascinating to find a detail written on the back of a photo, perhaps a date or a message to the recipient often encountered.
Currently I am working on a collection of miscellaneous photographs which are quite small, in an album with no information whatsoever. I had two photographs of a ship which, through using a magnifier I was fairly sure was in Penzance moored along the quay and the same ship in another photo moored alongside buildings. I needed to find out about this ship so I spent time at home searching for three-masted cargo ships with a white hull. Eventually I found information which identified it as the Leon Burau shown below. Using a magnifier, I identified the ship from the rigging and the shape around the bow. The additional information about the ship was then added to the data page, which will soon appear on the record accompanying the image on our website. Its story is fascinating and a summary follows below.
Morrab Library image: HARB 14HF 053
On the 18th of June1909 Alfred Vingoe was returning to Penzance in his pilot boat when he noticed that a large sailing ship was low in the water and flying distress flags. He and his two crew members sailed over to the craft which was the “Leon Burau” to find that the ship had been holed on a rock off the Scilly Isles and was fast taking in water. Climbing aboard Alfred told the captain to put on full sail, and when this was done Alfred piloted the ship into Penzance where he beached her just outside the harbour. The next day was a Sunday and people were amazed to see this fully rigged sailing ship ashore just outside the harbour entrance. Alfred arranged for most of the cargo to be discharged into small ships and then at high tide the ship was towed into the harbour to be repaired. A full account of the rescue is given in the “Cornishman” newspaper.
I was then able to identify that the ship in my photo was moored opposite what is now the dry dock in the harbour.
Just to add more interest an unidentified painting of this ship hangs in the photo archive painted by the Morrab Library benefactor Denis Myner. Further research identified the painting from an original photo as being part of the Richards collection. I then added the information to that photo on its web page identifier.
Painting by Denis Myner.
This is just one example of identifying a photo.
At the end of the day, I am usually left with a feeling of satisfaction in having made good progress but also knowing that many interesting searches lie ahead.
David Sleeman
If David’s blog has inspired you to consider volunteering with us in the Photo Archive, please get in touch with the library. You can email photoarchive@morrablibrary.org.uk or call the library on 01736 364474.
by admin | May 8, 2020 | Blog, Culture, Images, Morrab Library, World
The library is lucky to hold archives of work by the Cornish artist and illustrator Hilda Quick.
Quick was born in Penzance in 1895 and trained at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, London, later specialising in wood engravings. Locally, she created designs for the Minack Theatre programmes, working directly with Rowena Cade (founder of the Minack). She also illustrated numerous books including her own — Marsh and Shore, about bird-watching on the Cornish coast, which became a bestseller.
She lived in Penzance until the death of her parents in 1951, after which she moved to St Agnes in the Isles of Scilly, remaining there for the rest of her life and continuing to produce work until her death at the age of 83 in 1978.
During her long career Quick produced numerous studies of the local community in Penzance and Newlyn, including these rather wry and playful sketches. They were made during the second world war and give an insight into the everyday lives of people in Penzance during that time – from the desperate and dutiful queues at the local fishmongers and chaos at the food office in St John’s Hall, to Penzance’s exasperated ‘chief billing officer’ pulling at his hair.
VE day commemorates the beginning of peace in Europe, a peace that must have been felt in a thousand little ways across the country, from our own land’s end to the highlands. It celebrates the peace that started the long and complicated process of healing for many countries. Hilda Quick’s drawings capture a time that is past but VE day reminds us that the value of peace, and working together, is ever-present.
by admin | Sep 27, 2019 | Blog, Images, Morrab Library, Sale
Travel back in time with our 2020 Calendar …
We’re delighted to announce Morrab Library has produced a 2020 Calendar using photographs from our Cornish Photo Archive. The calendar is now available for purchase at the desk. At £10 it’s the perfect gift and a great way to support the library.
Stocks are limited! All proceeds go to the library.
To find out more about these very special historical collections you can browse our Photo Archive here – http://photoarchive.morrablibrary.org.uk/
