Who works at Penlee House?
Five full time staff and four part timers man the gallery between them six days a week, aided by a team of around 100 volunteers. To help you to contact the right person, the staff are listed below.

Five full time staff and four part timers man the gallery between them six days a week, aided by a team of around 100 volunteers. To help you to contact the right person, the staff are listed below.


Contact about managerial and policy issues, marketing, gifts or bequests or any general matters to do with the funding and running of Penlee House.
My favourite thing about Penlee House is a small china bunny rabbit with the old town crest. Penzance translates as 'Holy Head[land]', and our crest was a pun on this - the head of John the Baptist. The juxtaposition of such a gory image on such a sweet little rabbit is just bizarre!

Contact about our collections, exhibition and long-term loans or research projects.
My favourite thing about Penlee House is the painting Zandvoort Fishergirl by Elizabeth Forbes, because people said it looked like me when I was younger!

Contact about bookings for group and school visits and Friends membership queries.
My favourite thing about Penlee House is the picture The Pied Piper of Hamelin by Elizabeth Forbes: I think she is a hugely underrated talent and often better than her more famous husband, Stanhope.

Contact to discuss education visits, use of loan boxes, children's workshops and outreach talks and activities.
My favourite thing about Penlee House is the Banner Mourning the Death of Nelson, c.1805, on loan from Madron Parochial Church Council. This is a fascinating piece of social history and must be a rare survival. I have never seen anything like it, and it is a nice link between local history and an event of national importance. It makes me wonder if any other towns in the country produced similar ‘souvenirs’.

Contact about technical issues relating to the museum and gallery and about the updating of this website.
My favourite thing about Penlee House is the children's playground, because it's great to take my daughter Leala there after work.

Contact about volunteering at Penlee House and about security and front of house matters.
My favourite thing about Penlee House is the VC awarded to Joseph Trewavas, because it was one of the first ever awarded, made from the metal of captured Russian guns and given to this Mousehole man by Queen Victoria herself - that's an amazing piece of history.

Contact about all matters relating to the shop, including mail order and stock enquiries.
My favourite thing about Penlee House is The Orchard by S.J. 'Lamorna' Birch, because it reminds me of the field where we kept our donkeys when I was a child.

On hand to answer your enquiries and process shop sales during your visit.
My favourite thing about Penlee House is the bench in the Memorial Garden, which is the ideal quiet, sunny spot to take a break.
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On hand to answer your enquiries and process shop sales during your visit.
My favourite thing about Penlee House is the shop, which has an amazing selection of art books for sale, ranging from 'The Mousehole Cat' to underwater photographs of the Cornish coast, as well as all the books currently available about Newlyn School artists.