We want to know your views on proposals for the display and interpretation of Lyme's most recent acquisition - The Lyme Missal.
The Missal, a 15th-century prayer book printed by William Caxton, is of immense significance both nationally and to Lyme Park and was the religious 'internet' of its day. Until its acquisition by the National Trust it had remained in the possession of the Legh family of Lyme for 500 years.
Amy Thornborrow, House and Collections Manager at Lyme says:
'Following the acquisition of the Missal, our 21st-century challenge was how could we keep this precious book intact, and at the same time share it with our visitors without damaging it. The answer was found in Turning Page digital technology - which allows us to 'virtually' explore this rare and fragile book - thus keeping the original safe.
'Thanks to a generous donation of £15,000 given by the National Trust Peak District Centre to help purchase the Turning Page technology, visitors will have much greater access to the Missal and its contents.'
Over this summer we are trialling the technology (kindly lent to us by the British Museum - which uses this kind of interpretation in its Reading Room). In order to see if this is the best way of sharing information about the Missal, we would like visitors to 'have a go'! We're aiming to find out how easy the technology is to use - and if visitors think it is a useful way of learning about the book.
People may also have their own ideas and suggestions as to how we might make the contents of the Missal more accessible. It's important to know their views so we can take these into account when making a final decision on the Missal's display and interpretation.
The Missal even has its own email address - so you can let us know what you think.
John Derbyshire, Chairman of the Peak District Centre, said:
'The Centre is delighted to be able to support this exciting project. The turning page technology is a wonderful method of allowing visitors to access this fascinating book without causing any damage - an excellent use of 21st century technology. We hope that future visitors to Lyme will use the technology to discover a wealth of information about the Missal and its amazing history'.
The Missal, which was acquired with generous assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Art Fund and many other organisations and individuals, will be on display in the library at Lyme from summer 2009.
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