Following in the European tradition of the ‘Wunderkammer’,  the People’s Museum of Memory and Myth (PMMM) is a curated collection of objects and artefacts which has the intention of generating curiosity, reminiscence, association and wonder.  A bespoke 'cabinet of curiosities’ installed in the foyer of the Pennywell All Care Centre in Muirhouse, the cabinet consists of nine vitrines each populated with artefacts collected from communities and individuals within North West Edinburgh.  Each item represents a fragment of history, factual or mythical, and their aim is to ignite memories, generate conversation and connect people through the power of objects and stories.

The objects have not been selected because of profound historical provenance or monetary value but for nostalgic or sentimental significance and to honour the diversity of social histories, personal experiences and collective stories; from a grandmother’s handbag imbued with personal and sentimental memories to a megaphone a symbol of collective activism and protest.

The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth is the work of artist Hans K Clausen and is one of a series of outcomes from a two year artist residency

in North West Edinburgh between 2015 and 2017.  The residency and the PMMM were made possible through generous funding and support from Creative Scotland, Edinburgh and Lothian Health Foundation, NHS Lothian and North Edinburgh Arts.  Information about the other outcomes and the residency can be found at www.arcadeum.org.

Most importantly The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth would not have been possible without the participation, generosity and enthusiasm

of many local residents and the collaboration of many individuals and organisations, to them all, thank you! Donors are credited alongside the individual exhibit information, collaborating partners are credited on

our partnership page.

FOREWORD

Diana Morton

Outreach & Access Manager, Museums & Galleries Edinburgh

The ordinary is extraordinary: Musings from the museum.

The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth is many things.  It is an artwork, a museum, a reminiscence tool, an embodiment of collective local identity and a place where the stories of individuals are collected and mythologised.

As individuals we treasure objects as manifestations of our memories.  We will treasure a photograph or a souvenir and looking at or touching these objects can bring back memories of times past.  We cannot stay forever in that moment, so we keep objects to remind us.  This time-travelling property of objects was captured by Jules David Prowni who wrote ‘An Artifact is something that happened in the past, but, unlike other historical events, it continues to exist in our own time.  Artifacts constitute the only class of historical events that occurred in the past but survive in the present.  They can be re-experienced…’  This is why objects are so good for jogging our memory and are often used for reminiscence work with older people.

In this sense, museums are places where we store our memories as a society and go to experience the past.  In constructing narratives of the past we create collective identities.   However, museums and collecting are not neutral.  They are about the stories we choose to prioritise.  Historically these have often been those of the great or powerful.  But there are histories which question this.  Social history focusses on the stories of ordinary people.

The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth builds on this tradition.  Telling the ordinary everyday stories of the local communities.  The objects in and of themselves may not seem to be hugely valuable, but it is the memories that they embody which give them value.   From a grandmother’s handbag, holding sentimental memories, to a megaphone symbolising political protest, these objects embody the concept of both personal and collective memory and create a record of the histories of Muirhouse.

By including these objects in an artwork, they are plucked from the category of everyday ephemera and given significance and meaning as part of a piece of art; a category which is given value in our society.

The inclusion of the word ‘myth’ in the title is also telling.  The stories embodied by these objects are heard, misheard, told and retold.  Memory is not infallible and in the tradition of storytelling each teller adds their own variations to the tale.  In the world of the People’s Museum, truth is irrelevant.  The objects have no labels giving one authoritative ‘true’ story, it is what the individual brings to the displays that matters.

This artwork also draws on the concept of the cabinet of curiosity.  These displays are often seen as a precursor to civic museums and galleries.  They collected together objects that were considered to be rare and unusual.  Likewise the People’s Museum takes disparate items to create a modern-day wonder-room full of unusual curiosities and rare conversation pieces.

The inclusion of this artwork in the Pennywell All Care Centre in Muirhouse, brings the familiar and homely into a healthcare setting.  It makes the space less medicalised and more of a sphere for conversations and discussions.  The artwork enables the telling of stories, the sharing of memories, the creation of myths and the creation of a collective identity (or identities) for Muirhouse.

Diana Morton, Outreach & Access Manager, Museums & Galleries Edinburgh. (2018)

The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth is the work of artist Hans K Clausen and is one of a series of outcomes from a two year artist residency in North West Edinburgh between 2015 and 2017.  The residency and the PMMM were made possible through generous funding and support from Creative Scotland, Edinburgh and Lothian Health Foundation, NHS Lothian and North Edinburgh Arts.  Information about the other outcomes and the residency can be found at www.arcadeum.org.

Most importantly The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth would not have been possible without the participation, generosity and enthusiasm of many local residents and the collaboration of many individuals and organisations, to them all, thank you! Donors are credited alongside the individual exhibit information, collaborating partners are credited on our partnership page.

FOREWORD

Diana Morton

Outreach & Access Manager, Museums & Galleries Edinburgh

The ordinary is extraordinary: Musings from the museum.

The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth is many things.  It is an artwork, a museum, a reminiscence tool, an embodiment of collective local identity and a place where the stories of individuals are collected and mythologised.

As individuals we treasure objects as manifestations of our memories.  We will treasure a photograph or a souvenir and looking at or touching these objects can bring back memories of times past.  We cannot stay forever in that moment, so we keep objects to remind us.  This time-travelling property of objects was captured by Jules David Prowni who wrote ‘An Artifact is something that happened in the past, but, unlike other historical events, it continues to exist in our own time.  Artifacts constitute the only class of historical events that occurred in the past but survive in the present.  They can be re-experienced…’  This is why objects are so good for jogging our memory and are often used for reminiscence work with older people.

In this sense, museums are places where we store our memories as a society and go to experience the past.  In constructing narratives of the past we create collective identities.   However, museums and collecting are not neutral.  They are about the stories we choose to prioritise.  Historically these have often been those of the great or powerful.  But there are histories which question this.  Social history focusses on the stories of ordinary people.

The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth builds on this tradition.  Telling the ordinary everyday stories of the local communities.  The objects in and of themselves may not seem to be hugely valuable, but it is the memories that they embody which give them value.   From a grandmother’s handbag, holding sentimental memories, to a megaphone symbolising political protest, these objects embody the concept of both personal and collective memory and create a record of the histories of Muirhouse.

By including these objects in an artwork, they are plucked from the category of everyday ephemera and given significance and meaning as part of a piece of art; a category which is given value in our society.

The inclusion of the word ‘myth’ in the title is also telling.  The stories embodied by these objects are heard, misheard, told and retold.  Memory is not infallible and in the tradition of storytelling each teller adds their own variations to the tale.  In the world of the People’s Museum, truth is irrelevant.  The objects have no labels giving one authoritative ‘true’ story, it is what the individual brings to the displays that matters.

This artwork also draws on the concept of the cabinet of curiosity.  These displays are often seen as a precursor to civic museums and galleries.  They collected together objects that were considered to be rare and unusual.  Likewise the People’s Museum takes disparate items to create a modern-day wonder-room full of unusual curiosities and rare conversation pieces.

The inclusion of this artwork in the Pennywell All Care Centre in Muirhouse, brings the familiar and homely into a healthcare setting.  It makes the space less medicalised and more of a sphere for conversations and discussions.  The artwork enables the telling of stories, the sharing of memories, the creation of myths and the creation of a collective identity (or identities) for Muirhouse.

Diana Morton, Outreach & Access Manager,

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh. (2018)

The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth is the work

of artist Hans K Clausen and is one of a series of outcomes from a two year artist residency in North West Edinburgh between 2015 and 2017.  The residency and the PMMM were made possible through generous funding and support from Creative Scotland, Edinburgh and Lothian Health Foundation, NHS Lothian and North Edinburgh Arts.  Information about the other outcomes and the residency can be found at www.arcadeum.org.

Most importantly The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth would not have been possible without the participation, generosity and enthusiasm of many local residents and the collaboration of many individuals and organisations, to them all, thank you! Donors are credited alongside the individual exhibit information, collaborating partners are credited on our

partnership page.

FOREWORD

Diana Morton

Outreach & Access Manager, Museums & Galleries Edinburgh

The ordinary is extraordinary: Musings from the museum.

The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth is many things.  It is an artwork, a museum, a reminiscence tool, an embodiment of collective local identity and a place where the stories of individuals are collected and mythologised.

As individuals we treasure objects as manifestations of our memories.  We will treasure a photograph or a souvenir and looking at or touching these objects can bring back memories of times past.  We cannot stay forever in that moment, so we keep objects to remind us.  This time-travelling property of objects was captured by Jules David Prowni who wrote ‘An Artifact is something that happened in the past, but, unlike other historical events, it continues to exist in our own time.  Artifacts constitute the only class of historical events that occurred in the past but survive in the present.  They can be re-experienced…’  This is why objects are so good for jogging our memory and are often used for reminiscence work with older people.

In this sense, museums are places where we store our memories as a society and go to experience the past.  In constructing narratives of the past we create collective identities.   However, museums and collecting are not neutral.  They are about the stories we choose to prioritise.  Historically these have often been those of the great or powerful.  But there are histories which question this.  Social history focusses on the stories of ordinary people.

The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth builds on this tradition.  Telling the ordinary everyday stories of the local communities.  The objects in and of themselves may not seem

to be hugely valuable, but it is the memories that they embody which give them value.   From a grandmother’s handbag, holding sentimental memories, to a megaphone symbolising political protest, these objects embody the concept of both personal and collective memory and create a record of the histories of Muirhouse.  By including these objects in an artwork, they are plucked from the category of everyday ephemera and given significance and meaning as part of a piece of art; a category which is given value in our society.

The inclusion of the word ‘myth’ in the title is also telling.

The stories embodied by these objects are heard, misheard,

told and retold.  Memory is not infallible and in the tradition

of storytelling each teller adds their own variations to the tale.

In the world of the People’s Museum, truth is irrelevant.  The objects have no labels giving one authoritative ‘true’ story,

it is what the individual brings to the displays that matters.

This artwork also draws on the concept of the cabinet of curiosity.  These displays are often seen as a precursor to civic museums and galleries.  They collected together objects that were considered to be rare and unusual.  Likewise the People’s Museum takes disparate items to create a modern-day wonder-room full of unusual curiosities and rare conversation pieces.

The inclusion of this artwork in the Pennywell All Care Centre in Muirhouse, brings the familiar and homely into a healthcare setting.  It makes the space less medicalised and more of a sphere for conversations and discussions.  The artwork enables the telling of stories, the sharing of memories, the creation of myths and the creation of a collective identity (or identities)

for Muirhouse.

Diana Morton, Outreach & Access Manager,

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh. (2018)

The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth is the work of artist Hans K Clausen and is one of a series
of outcomes from a two year artist residency in North West Edinburgh between 2015 and 2017.  The residency and the PMMM were made possible through generous funding and support from Creative Scotland, Edinburgh and Lothian Health Foundation, NHS Lothian and North Edinburgh Arts.  Information about the other outcomes and the residency can be found at www.arcadeum.org.

Most importantly The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth would not have been possible without the participation, generosity and enthusiasm of many local residents and the collaboration of many individuals and organisations, to them all, thank you! Donors are credited alongside the individual exhibit information, collaborating partners are credited on our partnership page.

FOREWORD

Diana Morton, Outreach & Access Manager,

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh

The ordinary is extraordinary: Musings from the museum.

The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth is many things.  It is an artwork, a museum, a reminiscence tool, an embodiment of collective local identity and a place where the stories of individuals are collected and mythologised.

As individuals we treasure objects as manifestations of our memories.  We will treasure a photograph or a souvenir and looking at or touching these objects can bring back memories of times past.  We cannot stay forever in that moment, so we keep objects to remind us.  This time-travelling property of objects was captured by Jules David Prowni who wrote ‘An Artifact is something that happened in the past, but, unlike other historical events, it continues to exist in our own time.  Artifacts constitute the only class of historical events that occurred in the past but survive in the present.  They can be re-experienced…’  This is why objects are so good for jogging our memory and are often used for reminiscence work with older people.

In this sense, museums are places where we store our memories as a society and go to experience the past.  In constructing narratives of the past we create collective identities.   However, museums and collecting are not neutral.  They are about the stories we choose to prioritise.  Historically these have often been those of the great or powerful.  But there are histories which question this.  Social history focusses on the stories of ordinary people.

The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth builds on this tradition.  Telling the ordinary everyday stories of the local communities.  The objects in and of themselves may not seem to be hugely valuable, but it is the memories that they embody which give them value.   From a grandmother’s handbag, holding sentimental memories, to a megaphone symbolising political protest, these objects embody the concept of both personal and collective memory and create a record of the histories of Muirhouse.  By including these objects in an artwork, they are plucked from the category of everyday ephemera and given significance and meaning as part of a piece of art; a category which is given value in our society.

The inclusion of the word ‘myth’ in the title is also telling.  The stories embodied by these objects are heard, misheard, told and retold.  Memory is not infallible and in the tradition of storytelling each teller adds their own variations to the tale.  In the world of the People’s Museum, truth is irrelevant.  The objects have no labels giving one authoritative ‘true’ story, it is what the individual brings to the displays that matters.

This artwork also draws on the concept of the

cabinet of curiosity.  These displays are often seen

as a precursor to civic museums and galleries.  They collected together objects that were considered to be rare and unusual.  Likewise the People’s Museum takes disparate items to create a modern-day

wonder-room full of unusual curiosities and rare conversation pieces.

The inclusion of this artwork in the Pennywell All Care Centre in Muirhouse, brings the familiar and homely into a healthcare setting.  It makes the space less medicalised and more of a sphere for

conversations and discussions.  The artwork enables the telling of stories, the sharing of memories, the creation of myths and the creation of a collective identity (or identities) for Muirhouse.

Diana Morton, Outreach & Access Manager,

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh. (2018)

THE PEOPLE’S MUSEUM
OF MEMORY AND MYTH

A celebration of the ordinary and the extraordinary, the unique and the ubiquitous.

The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth is the work of artist Hans K Clausen and is one of a series
of outcomes from a two year artist residency in North West Edinburgh between 2015 and 2017.  The residency and the PMMM were made possible through generous funding and support from Creative Scotland, Edinburgh and Lothian Health Foundation, NHS Lothian and North Edinburgh Arts.  Information about the other outcomes and the residency can be found at www.arcadeum.org.

Most importantly The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth would not have been possible without the participation, generosity and enthusiasm of many local residents and the collaboration of many individuals and organisations, to them all, thank you! Donors are credited alongside the individual exhibit information, collaborating partners are credited on our partnership page.

FOREWORD

Diana Morton, Outreach & Access Manager, Museums & Galleries Edinburgh

The ordinary is extraordinary: Musings from the museum.

The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth is many things.  It is an artwork, a museum, a reminiscence tool, an embodiment of collective local identity and a place where the stories of individuals are collected and mythologised.

As individuals we treasure objects as manifestations of our memories.  We will treasure a photograph or a souvenir and looking at or touching these objects can bring back memories of times past.  We cannot stay forever in that moment, so we keep objects to remind us.  This time-travelling property of objects was captured by Jules David Prowni who wrote ‘An Artifact is something that happened in the past, but, unlike other historical events, it continues to exist in our own time.  Artifacts constitute the only class of historical events that occurred in the past but survive in the present.  They can be re-experienced…’  This is why objects are so good for jogging our memory and are often used for reminiscence work with older people.

In this sense, museums are places where we store our memories as a society and go to experience the past.  In constructing narratives of the past we create collective identities.   However, museums and collecting are not neutral.  They are about the stories we choose to prioritise.  Historically these have often been those of the great or powerful.  But there are histories which question this.  Social history focusses on the stories of ordinary people.

The People’s Museum of Memory and Myth builds on this tradition.  Telling the ordinary everyday stories of the local communities.  The objects in and of themselves may not seem to be hugely valuable, but it is the memories that they embody which give them value.   From a grandmother’s handbag, holding sentimental memories, to a megaphone symbolising political protest, these objects embody the concept of both personal and collective memory and create a record of the histories of Muirhouse.  By including these objects in an artwork, they are plucked from the category of everyday ephemera and given significance and meaning as part of a piece of art; a category which is given value in our society.

The inclusion of the word ‘myth’ in the title is also telling.  The stories embodied by these objects are heard, misheard, told and retold.  Memory is not infallible and in the tradition of storytelling each teller adds their own variations to the tale.  In the world of the People’s Museum, truth is irrelevant.  The objects have no labels giving one authoritative ‘true’ story, it is what the individual brings to the displays that matters.

This artwork also draws on the concept of the cabinet of curiosity.  These displays are often seen as a precursor to civic museums and galleries.  They collected together objects that were considered to be rare and unusual.  Likewise the People’s Museum takes disparate items to create a modern-day

wonder-room full of unusual curiosities and rare conversation pieces.

The inclusion of this artwork in the Pennywell All Care Centre in Muirhouse, brings the familiar and homely into a healthcare setting.  It makes the space less medicalised and more of a sphere for

conversations and discussions.  The artwork enables the telling of stories, the sharing of memories, the creation of myths and the creation of a collective identity (or identities) for Muirhouse.

Diana Morton, Outreach & Access Manager,

Museums & Galleries Edinburgh. (2018)