ABSTRACT
Personalities, events and ideas are the stuff of traditional history, but what of the reality of Bannockburn, the complexity of David Hume’s thought and the tragedy of the clearances? They may be only inadequately conveyed by objects associated with the individuals and historic events concerned. On the other hand, quite simple objects can inspire an imaginative understanding of the realities of everyday life, even in the distant past, which is not readily communicated by the printed page (Mark Jones 1995: 26). 1
