The small town of St Ives in the far west of Cornwall has, for over six hundred years, been dependent on the fishing and mining industries and more recently on tourism and artists.

The St Ives Trust Archive Study Centre, which opened in 1996, holds information on every aspect of the town in newspaper articles, maps, legal documents, correspondence, catalogues and books. It has an extensive collection of photographs which have been taken over the past one hundred and forty years. These clearly document how the area has changed over the past century. Copies of many of the images may be purchased.

Comprehensive data is available for researching family history and migration using census returns, baptismal records, burial books and trade directories. Now an outpost of the Cornwall Family History Society, genealogical records are available for the whole of Cornwall.


Material about St Ives artists, galleries and art societies covering the period from the artists’ first arrival before the 1880s to the present time is available for detailed study

The Centre has a large number of helpful and knowledgeable volunteers who can assist personal visitors with their queries. They will also respond to enquiries received by post, telephone and e-mail.



Being a charitable organization the Centre plays a major role in the community. It works closely with the local schools, colleges and other educational establishments and has links with libraries, museums, art galleries and archives in the area.

The Centre welcomes printed material of all kinds concerning St Ives and its inhabitants. It also promotes special projects, including exhibitions, lectures and the recording of reminiscences from the public to supplement the written material.

It is funded by membership subscriptions, donations, sales of books and photographs and fundraising activities. Although visits are free, a small charge is made for research work.