Today's hours:
Closed
Monday
10 am–5 pm
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
10 am–5 pm
Friday
10 am–5 pm
Saturday
10 am–5 pm
Sunday
10 am–5 pm
Monday
10 am–5 pm
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
10 am–5 pm
Friday
10 am–5 pm
Saturday
10 am–5 pm
Sunday
10 am–5 pm
Herman Melville’s Moby Dick is the most persistently pictured of all American novels.
The novel and its timeless themes continue to inspire artists, designers and creatives of all types. Its first sentence: “Call me Ishmael.” is one of the most iconic and best-known opening lines in all of literature.
Draw Me Ishmael: The Book Arts of Moby Dick is the first exhibition focused on the book arts of the hundreds of editions published since 1851: the illustrations, binding designs, typography and even the physical structures. Drawn almost entirely from the Phillips Library collection, this intimate gallery space explores decades of creative approaches to interpreting the novel visually in book form. It will shed some light on Melville’s original inspiration and include a contemporary update through recent artists’ books, graphic novels, a translation into emoji and pop-up books. Think untraditionally and independently about Moby Dick, appreciate the variety of approaches to visualizing the novel and explore copies of more than 50 books on display.
Follow along on social media using #DrawMeIshmael
Draw Me Ishmael: The Book Arts of Moby Dick is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum. This exhibition is made possible by Carolyn and Peter S. Lynch and The Lynch Foundation. We thank Jennifer and Andrew Borggaard, James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes, Chip and Susan Robie, and Timothy T. Hilton as supporters of the Exhibition Innovation Fund. We also recognize the generosity of the East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum.
Events that may interest you
Opening Day Celebration
Conjuring the Spirit World: Art, Magic, and Mediums
Saturday September 14, 2024 | 11:30 am–3:00 pm
Event
Opening Celebration: A Narwhal Carnival
Saturday, September 28, 2024 from 10 am—3 pm
Virtual event
PEM Reads: Moby-Dick Read-a-Thon
Wednesday, October 9, 2024 from 6:30—8 pm
Event
PEM Gala 2024
Saturday, November 9 | 6–8:30 pm (Dinner) + 8:30 pm–midnight (After-Party)
Keep exploring
