2009-11-26 12:59:03 -

From February 2010 National Maritime Museum Cornwall will be shining a light on the world of lighthouses and their keepers with a major new exhibition entitled Lighthouses: Life on the Rocks.

From the massive scale of these triumphs of engineering to the tall tales of the lighthouse keepers themselves, this exhibition will illuminate these incredible stories before they slip out of living memory. The UK's last manned lighthouse was converted to automatic operation in November 1998, and this evocative exhibition will explore the lives of the last of the lighthouse keepers.

For centuries these iconic beacons of light have protected our seas and Life on the Rocks will feature an incredible array of objects, both large and small. A massive four tonne

optic, with its dazzling array of prisms and lenses, will form a sculptural centre piece to the exhibition. Life on the Rocks is being supported by Trinity House, the General Lighthouse Authority, who are generously lending a large number of artefacts to the exhibition which is seen as complementary to their own heritage centre at the Lizard Lighthouse.

The exhibition is part funded by a £30,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Nerys Watts, South West Head of Region for the Heritage Lottery Fund, commented: “People of all ages are fascinated by lighthouses and the Heritage Lottery Fund are delighted to support this project which will allow people to get involved in learning about lighthouses and the important role they have played in our maritime heritage.”


Visitors will also have the opportunity to step inside the world of the lighthouse keeper, with a reconstruction of a lighthouse’s living quarters, featuring original curved furniture from Godrevy Lighthouse and objects which reflect the life of a lighthouse keeper. Theirs was a life of strict routine and relative isolation and to fill their time, when not tending to the light, these men would write poetry, craft ships in light bulbs or come up with ingenious ways of supplementing their limited supplies, such as kite fishing!


Jenny Wittamore, Assistant Curator at National Maritime Museum Cornwall says: “From the power of the ocean to powerful emotions, feats of engineering to feats of daring, as an island nation, lighthouses have played a significant role in all our lives. You might think you know about lighthouses, but Life on the Rocks will show that there is more to their story than you ever imagined.”


Lighthouses: Life on the Rocks opens at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall on 6 February 2010 and will run for two years.

Notes to Editor.

Images


Storm lashed Longships Lighthouse. Please credit Tim Stevens, image courtesy of Trinity House.

Portland Bill Lighthouse off the Dorset coast. Image courtesy of Trinity House.

Relieving the shift on Bishop Rock Lighthouse 1969. Please credit Gibsons of Scilly


Trinity House


Trinity House is the General Lighthouse Authority (GLA) for England and Wales, with responsibility for nearly 600 Aids to Navigation, from traditional aids such as lighthouses, buoys and beacons to the latest satellite navigation technology. In addition it inspects over 10,000 local Aids to Navigation provided by port and harbour authorities, and those positioned on offshore structures.

Incorporated by Royal Charter in 1514, the Corporation is also a major maritime charity, wholly funded by its endowments. The Corporation spends around £3m each year on its charitable activities including welfare of mariners, education and training, the promotion of safety at sea, and its role as a Deep Sea Pilotage Authority.

More information can be found at www.trinityhouse.co.uk :

Heritage Lottery Fund


The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) was set up by Parliament in 1994 to give grants to a wide range of projects involving the local, regional and national heritage of the United Kingdom. They distribute a share of the money raised by the National Lottery for Good Causes.

This year, they will allocate around £220 million to projects in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Since 1994 HLF has awarded over £4.3 billion to more than 28,800 projects across the UK.

They are officially known as a ‘non-departmental public body’. This means that, although they are not a government department, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport issues financial and policy directions to them and they report to Parliament through the department.
Their decisions about individual applications and policies are entirely independent.

HLF is administered by the Trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) which allocates around £10 million per annum to our national heritage, acting as a fund of ‘last resort’.

Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported more than 28,800 projects, allocating over £4.3billion across the UK. Website: www.hlf.org.uk : .

This year marks The National Lottery's 15th Anniversary. Since 1994 over £23billion - that's £25million each week - has been raised by Lottery players for the arts, sport, heritage, environment, education, health, charity and voluntary sectors.

More information can be found at www.hlf.org.uk :

This information was brought to you by Cision www.cisionwire.com :

National Maritime Museum CornwallMichael Sweeney,

Communications OfficerT: 01326 214558E: michaelsweeney@nmmc.co.uk : mailto:michaelsweeney@nmmc.co.uk www.nmmc.co.uk :