This weeks Records and Evidence session had us considering objects in our lives as evidence. When approaching the object we were asked to consider the item in relation to Professor Jules Prowns’ three point model. Prown was a material culture scholar who conceptualised the model in the 1980s in order to analysis objects. Prown developed this model as he believed “objects made or modified by humans, consciously or unconsciously, directly or indirectly, reflect the belief patterns of individuals who made, commissioned, purchased, or used them, and, by extension, the belief patterns of the larger society to which they belonged” (1984: 1-2)
The model consists of three parts: Description, Deduction and Speculation. Prown emphasis that when implementing the model the processes should follow the aforementioned order, as each step leads onto the next. Once these three initial steps are complete, we can then complete the last step: Research. The steps of the model are as follows:
Description: This stage is when the physical attributes of the item are observed such as material, size and form.
Deduction: This stage covers what can be observed from the physicality’s of the item.
Speculation: This stage is is when one hypothesises about the item. What questions arise when you look at it?
Research: A this stage we look for external evidence regarding the item.
I will now apply Prown’s model to an object of my own. Residing in the impersonal and almost clinical environment of student accommodation meant that highly personal items were not immediately close to hand. However I have chosen an item that I hope demonstrates clearly the three stages of the model.
Description:
The running trainers are made of a typical polyester, plastic and rubber blend. The polyester outer body is grey with darker shaded netting around the rear. The soles of the shoes are a blend of a white plastic foam with a red rubber bottom layer. The shoes have red polyester laces and a black and white striped rubber panel on the side. From the tongue of the shoe we can see that the shoes are a UK size 8.
Deduction:
The shoes are in a poor state. There are numerous holes in the polyester outer fabric, especially around the end of the shoe. The sole of the shoe is well worn down and there are areas where the grip is almost non-existent. There are black oil marks around the heel of the shoe. Although the shoes are grey all over, it is hard to say whether that was their original factory colour.
Speculation:
It would be reasonable to speculate that the shoes have been well worn and loved by their owner. The black oil on the heel indicates that the shoes may have been used for cycling as well as running. The fact the shoes are a size 8 may suggest that the shoes belong to a man. As the shoes are not of a typically well-known or expensive brand we can speculate the owner is either not enticed by brandnames, or is possibly a cash strapped student . . .
Research:
If it was not made clear by the Deduction and Speculation steps of the model – these are my well loved running shoes! I bought this specific pair when I first started running in 2015. Don’t worry – I haven’t been running in them ever since! Although I’ve had many different pairs since this specific pair, I have kept them in my possession. This pair hold semi-sentimental value to me as it was the pair I was wearing when I ran my first marathon in 2015. In terms of practicalities, the shoes fit me like a second skin and therefore they are useful to swap to when I am breaking in new shoes, as they often leave me with blisters and rubbing. Also, the fact they are so well-used means I am not afraid to use them when cycling which usually results in them and me being covered with a large amount of mud and oil!
If the item was to be found by a third-party in the future, I doubt any of the value of the shoes would be translatable by the their appearance. The shoes do not hold a very strong sentimental value to me personally. I feel their value lies in their practical use by me as ‘interim’ shoes between new pairs. However, with their worn out appearance they can regarded as evidence of a well-used item.
I believe the pair set me back an eye-watering sum of £10 from Sports Direct. I like to think the fact I ran a marathon in these cheap run of the (tread)mill shoes only helps to prove the theory that sometimes runners can have ‘all the gear but no idea’. It is testimony that a pair of trainers is the only thing needed to run – and then again, even shoes can be optional!
Prown, Jules David. “Mind in Matter: An Introduction to Material Culture Theory and Method.” Winterthur Portfolio 17, no. 1 (1982): 1-19. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1180761.
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