The PK Online Collection (PKOC) moves closer to its scheduled launch of December 2021.

PK Porthcurno – Museum of Global Communications holds a Designated archive and object collection relating to the development of international communications dating from the 1850’s to the present day. Currently the only online access to the collections is via The National Archives website, but this data is limited and not up to date. Our aim is to provide improved access to our collections through the development of a searchable online collection database.

Archive Volunteers help to digitise and catalogue the PK collection

Following a successful application to Arts Council England’s Designated Collections Fund in late 2019, PK Porthcurno was all set to begin the project that would enable anyone anywhere to explore our fascinating collections. Unfortunately, Covid-19 meant that we had to delay the start until Autumn 2020 when we could finally recruit our Collections Cataloguer to begin the important task of ensuring all our data was accessible and accurate. This included uploading over 11,000 photographs to our database. These had been scanned and catalogued by our wonderful group of Archive Volunteers over the past few years, with many more still to do.

Over 11,000 images and 33,500 records will be available to search online

We are now fast approaching the end of this amazing project. In December 2021 we shall be launching the PK Online Collection on the museum’s website. Users will be able to search over 33,500 records, view over 11,000 images, and search the index of names of those employed by the Eastern Telegraph Company from the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. There will also be an interactive map which will allow users to select a location and easily view all the records associated with that place.

We aim to continue to build on this exciting project by providing access to even more digitised material in the coming years.

Header image: George Spratt (Assistant Superintendent at Porthcurno Telegraph Station, 1871) and family