Exhibition
The Creative Legacy of Nathaniel Hawthorne: Selections from the Phillips Library Collection
On view September 28, 2019 to March 12, 2020
This is the first exhibition in a new gallery dedicated to showcasing works from the museum’s research library. Nathaniel Hawthorne is integral to Salem’s rich history, and PEM’s Phillips Library collection includes over 3,000 individual volumes by the author. The library’s recent acquisition of Mindy Belloff's A Golden Thread, a contemporary reinterpretation of Hawthorne’s short story “The Minotaur,” considers the links between past and present, visual and verbal, and how artists have drawn on one another’s work throughout time. Focusing on the visual artistry of bookmaking and printing, from cover designs to typography, this exhibition highlights the full creativity present in books as art objects.
Share your impressions with us on social media using the hashtags #PEMlibrary and #PEMhawthorne
The Phillips Library Reading Room is free and open to researchers of all ages and levels of interest in our collections. To learn more, visit pem.org/library.




