page_title: Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society
section_title: 21st-century developments
hierarchical_section_title: Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society / 21st-century developments
caption_attribution_description: Annual Reports of the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society at Falmouth Public Library.
context_page_description: The Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society is an educational, cultural and scientific charity, as well as a local arts and cinema venue, based in Falmouth, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The Society exists to promote innovation in the arts and sciences.
context_section_description: There is no serious overview of developments in the Poly from its 19th-century heyday. Peter Gilson, the Society's historian until his death in 2009, prepared a basic chronology (Note 11), which is listed below. An initial judgement would be that the Society lost its scientific impetus sometime in latter decades of the 19th century, presumably reflecting the relative decline of Cornwall's economy which, in turn, was driven by relentless decline of the mining industry from the 1850s. The Society was left with a substantial building, which could be used for films and, from the mid-Century, theatrical productions. Members kept up programmes of exhibitions and lectures, but there were regular financial problems caused by the need to maintain an ageing building. During the 1950s, the author Howard Spring seems to have injected a new burst of life into the Society, and the development of Falmouth Art School (now, Falmouth University) meant that it was able to serve a thriving local artistic community. There were, however, growing tensions between the Artistic and more scholarly sides of the Society, which came to one particularly critical phase in 2006–10 when an ambitious attempt to develop a major commercially-driven artistic programme failed and brought the Society close to bankruptcy. A Community-led campaign to "Save Our Poly" produced a revitalisation of the Society, which now (2012) supports a varied programme of Films, Plays, Comedy, Talks, Artistic exhibitions and Local History. The Society is also the owner of the biggest collection of pictures of Henry Scott Tuke (over 200 paintings and drawings). In 2012, the Society is benefitting from the relative health of the local Falmouth economy, and from the emergence of the nearby Tremough campus of the Combined Universities of Cornwall. This means that the Poly's facilities in the heart of Falmouth are increasingly a major asset to both Town and Gown.
  As far as one can tell, the Poly was not only the first Polytechnic in the English-speaking world, but has now become the last one (at least in the UK). This is a proud history.
  1902 – Exhibition theme was "Electricity"
  1907 – Biennial "Meeting" to the held in the summer
  1909 – 71st Exhibition held in Camborne – the first time out of Falmouth
  1910 – Exhibition at Truro, with them of "Agriculture and Horticulture". The Hall was renovated, with renewed gallery seating and improved exits.
  1911 – Licence granted for "Cinematograph Shows",and the Hall was hired to Harris Brothers for this purpose – an arrangement which continued until 1931
  1914–18 – The Society's normal programme was disrupted as the building was used by HM Forces at various times as a canteen, dance- and concert-hall and hospital
  1915–18 – Tin and Tungsten Research Board formed as a result of war requirements. Summer meetings continued.
  1920 – 74th Exhibition at Camborne. Sir Edward Nicholl Prizes inaugurated.
  1922 – Art schools participate in Exhibition. "Scenes of old Falmouth" presented by the Women's Institute at Rosehill.
  1925 – Exhibition of Essays, Models, Art and Craftwork/Photography by children.
  1928 – W.Tregoning Hooper took over Obseervatory work.
  1930 – Exhibition at Penzance: Mining and British Ropes entries.
  1931 – Gallery completely renovated when Museum transferred from Municipal Buildings.
  1933 – Centenary Meeting lasted 6days with an Exhibition, Lectures and Visits.
  1934-8 – Regular programmes of winter lectures, summer meetings and Exhibitions
  1939 – Lectures discontinued on the outbreak of war
  1940–41 – Activities severely curtailed as a result of air raids
  1942 – Hall used as a canteen and dance hall for HM Forces
  1943 – Society purchased 16 & 17 Porhan Street
  1944 – Threat of requisition og building by the Navy
  1945 – Problems over letting the Hall. Renovation badly needed
  1946 – Partial renovation: Model Exhibition and Winter lectures
  1947 – Howard Spring joined the Society
  1949 – The building was in a dangerous condition
  1951 – Renovation of the building completed, but Society in grave financial position
  1952 – Schools' Art Exhibition: b
caption: Annual Reports of the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society (1833–1985) at Falmouth Public Library.
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