They may seem like everyday objects, but they could store long lasting memories that tug at the heartstrings.

Artist and University of Huddersfield lecturer Charlotte Goldthorpe is aiming to show how items such as a bracelet, a pair of shoes or even a hairbrush could encapsulate lost loves.

She has been holding a series of Lost Love Cafes and installing Love Boxes so she can compile recollections of romance, friends and family. And she then plans to create a series of artworks inspired by the narratives.

“All objects have a story. The more someone uses an object, the more it becomes personified. People can listen to a song and instantly remember where they were when they first heard it. Ordinary objects have that same power.”

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People who have spoken to Charlotte at sessions at the Northern Tea House in Huddersfield’s King Street, or submitted written memories via Love Boxes she has placed on the University campus, said objects can remind them of their lost loves.

Charlotte plans to create artworks in the shape of containers that could, theoretically, be used to store memories of the evocative objects.

Charlotte Goldthorpe and items she says can store memories of lost love

She uses a form of translucent silicon to make the containers, and vegetable-tanned leather as a mounting for them. The leather can also be inscribed with text that relays the story behind the object.

Although some of the pieces could be worn, they are not intended to have a practical purpose, she says, describing them as “fashion artefacts” or a form of sculpture.

At her Northern Tea House Love Cafes she has been collecting stories in person. The Love Boxes – one is installed at the Northern Tea House – allow people to write and contribute memories anonymously and there is also a form to do this on her website.

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The Lost Love Project – which is the basis for her PhD – will eventually consist of nine artworks, with three each for the themes of family love, friendship love and romantic love.

Charlotte is course leader for fashion communication and promotion at the University. In addition to her teaching and research she has also established a successful accessories business.

Her Lost Loves artwork has been exhibited during a conference in Florence, and eventually she plans an exhibition and a book containing the lost love narratives she is collecting.

An item that can store memories of lost love