This paper presents an exploration of the design of a memory model to support the management of persistent historical memories recorded by smart work objects. Analysis of a range of potential application categories and scenarios involving a smart work object is used to highlight the requirements and different characteristics of object memories. The analysis is then used to identify a range of pertinent issues and trade-offs which are used to inform the design of a generic parameterized memory model. A case study involving a smart object prototype in a workplace application scenario is then presented. The case study then analyzes how the proposed memory model can be applied to memories collected by the prototype.