Cornish Heritage Access Information Network
chain

Cornish Museums and Galleries have grouped together to form chain, an organisation aimed at improving access to Cornish Heritage.

The chain website offers a window onto the collections held by Museums and Galleries in Cornwall, giving you a virtual key to the stores, so that you can view the reserve collections, as well as seeing works on display.

The website aims to provide access details on any aspect of Cornish History from Archaeology to Fine Art, enabling you to find out where the collections are held, view images of them, research information, and then find out how to visit the relevant museum.

The site includes a powerful search engine which enables you to find out about objects of interest in the collections of any of the member museums.

Launched in March 2001, the first phase of chain includes the collections of the five lead museums:

Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro
Penlee House Gallery and Museum, Penzance
Falmouth Art Gallery, Falmouth
Wheal Martyn, St Austell
North Cornwall Museums Service

It is already a big website, but will grow to include more and more of the County's museums and galleries.

chain is particularly good for use by young people, helping to promote interest in heritage (and helping with homework!) through the unique chaingang area of the site, designed to help children to find out about Cornwall and have fun at the same time.

Visit the chain Website at www.chain.org.uk