Bridgette Ashton | Artificiailia: Fake Minerals & Fancy Plinths
The Artificialia cabinet will be showing at
Newlyn Art Gallery, New Rd, Newlyn, Penzance TR18 5PZ, 19 February – 5 March 2022 Tue–Sat 10am–5pm
Lostwithiel Museum, 16 Fore Street, Lostwithiel, Cornwall PL22 0BW, 12 – 27 March 2022 View from the street only
Auction House, Redruth, Station Hill, Redruth, Cornwall TR15 2AD, 1 – 9 April 2022 Fri-Sun 11-5pm (or by appointment)
The three locations of the exhibition – Newlyn, Lostwithiel and Redruth – each have important links to the history of Cornish mining and mineral collecting. Newlyn held significance for the mining industry until the 19th century with mineral dealer John Lavin’s shop and museum in the nearby Egyptian House in Penzance supplying ‘show’ specimens to important collectors. According to collector Sir Arthur Russell “in common with some other dealers… Lavin was not above passing off a certain number of faked specimens”. Lostwithiel was home to 18th-century mineral dealer Richard Talling’s ‘Fancy Repository’ selling specimens from local and wider Cornish mines, while Redruth was once the centre of the Cornish mining industry with many important mineral specimens discovered in its mines.
Photograph by Paul Mounsey
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. With additional support from Historic England, Cornwall Council and Redruth Unlimited in partnership with FEAST. With thanks to Newlyn Art Gallery; Lostwithiel Museum; Auction House Redruth; Flock South West and Arts University Plymouth.
