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Smyth, Karen 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7101-2397 and Watts, Jenny
(2021)
Finding Paston Footprints:400 years of Norfolk Life.
[Show/Exhibition]
Abstract
The four month exhibition at the Norfolk Record Office told the story of the Paston family from the Middle Ages to the Stuart period. Visitors learnt about the serendipity involved in the discovery of the letters, examined newly constructed composite manor maps and 3D digital reconstructions of Paston buildings that marked the rise, peak and fall of the Pastons' power. The colourful characters of the family were brought to life through digital animations. Visitors had the opportunity to read Paston school reports, love letters, neighbourly gossip and details of shrewd business and political negotiations. New research discoveries, in collaboration with the Paston Heritage Society, were showcased, as were a host of Paston archives held at the Norfolk Record Office. Quotes from the Paton Letters profiled the Paston women's voices and the display featured a Rosie's Plaque to Elizabeth Paston, made by the History Hunters at the Millennium Library Heritage Collection. The narrative about the Pastons' interest in alchemy was aided by a digital reconstruction of the Paston lab. Portraits of Paston children, the Paston pedigree and heraldry records provided a visual feast. Understanding the Paston family bubble in an Age of Plague was an all too timely connection with our lives today. For an immersive experience, visitors could also scan QR codes linked to letter readings, music and early dance moves. The nature of archives was also addressed. Questions were explored about how far we can trust what we read (the challenges facing translators and editors across the ages), the privacy strategies used by the Paston authors (from seals to cyphers), and hidden meanings, not least because of the Norfolk dialect! There were 13 talks, 2 workshops, 2 extended training courses (one on palaeography and the other on title deeds) and 2 school workshops that accompanied the exhibition. A digital version of the exhibition is being created at: https://www.thisispaston.co.uk/nro2021exhibition.html
| Item Type: | Show/Exhibition |
|---|---|
| Faculty \ School: | Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing |
| UEA Research Groups: | Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Medieval and Early Modern Research Group Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Heritage and History |
| Related URLs: | |
| Depositing User: | LivePure Connector |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Nov 2022 00:54 |
| Last Modified: | 28 Nov 2023 01:30 |
| URI: | https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/89866 |
| DOI: |
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