Astrid at the entrance to the Panacea Museum
Apples, Anecdotes, and Anthropology: A Summer at the Panacea
by Astrid Westlake
As part of my Social Anthropology degree at Emmanuel College (University of Cambridge)I undertook 4 weeks of research at the Panacea - using the methods of participant observation and interviews. This sounds tricky in theory - but really, it means I got to do a lot of sitting in stunning gardens and having fascinating conversations with lovely people!
Astrid's photograph of the Society's Clock Tower
I chose this fieldsite as I have always had a personal interest in religious groups, but academically I have been interested in the topics of labour, gender, collective memory and historicities - and the Panacea is an amazing place where these topics intersect. As an anthropologist we generally study living people, so I was interested in how people now interact with the Panacea story, and the place that the museum has in the lives and collective memories of Bedfordians today - a bit of a change from researching the Panacea story itself!
Over my time here I have been struck by just how peaceful it feels to be in the Panacea - it truly does feel like an oasis in Bedford, sheltered from the fast-paced and rushed nature of everyday life. I felt a sense of tranquility as I sat in the beautiful gardens, taking in the atmosphere and imagining the women of the society in the very same spot as me. As I arrived in mid-July the apples were beginning to ripen, and I was pleased to see the suprise of visitors as they were told they could pick them for free - a testament to the commercialisation of most spaces in today's world. I ended up going home with a handbag full of apples a few times, which my family enjoyed very much.
Time to reflect on the sunny patio
Safety first!
Aside from the beautiful gardens and serene atmosphere, I found the Panacea to be a refreshing change from formal education - a space where learning for the sake of learning is encouraged, and curiosity about the world is valued in itself (rather than harnessed for the purposes of an essay or exam). Coming from an extremely high-pressure environment in which learning and reading have become routine and ordinary, I have been so happy to see the joy that visitors had in learning about this fascinating society - and I was even more excited to engage in deeper conversations with staff and volunteers about the women who lived here. To my (pleasant) surpise, I was able to speak to many visitors who had heard about my research, and were interested in talking to me about it and learning more!
The Panacea is a remarkable place, with something for everyone. I am extremely thankful for the warm welcome I recieved from the staff, volunteers and visitors - and I feel very grateful to have been able to carry out my research in such a stunning place.
As anthropologists, we search for answers to the big questions: What makes us human? How do we organise society? How do social groups form and persist? The Panacea has been an excellent lens through which to ponder these questions, and I am extremely excited to write up my final dissertation ready for next summer.
