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.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, ca. 1850.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, ca. 1850. Paper; book. Library call number Clark A16.1. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Walter Silver.
A Golden Thread: The Minotaur, A Contemporary Illumination.
A Golden Thread: The Minotaur, A Contemporary Illumination. Page details from Section III. © Mindy Belloff. New York: Intima Press, 2018. Photography courtesy of Mindy Belloff.
A Golden Thread: The Minotaur, A Contemporary Illumination.
A Golden Thread: The Minotaur, A Contemporary Illumination. Page details from Section II. © Mindy Belloff. New York: Intima Press, 2018. Photography courtesy of Mindy Belloff.
A Golden Thread: The Minotaur, A Contemporary Illumination.
A Golden Thread: The Minotaur, A Contemporary Illumination. Page details. © Mindy Belloff. New York: Intima Press, 2018. Photography courtesy of Mindy Belloff.
A Golden Thread: The Minotaur, A Contemporary Illumination.
A Golden Thread: The Minotaur, A Contemporary Illumination. Library call number N7433.4.B45 G65. © Mindy Belloff. New York: Intima Press, 2018. Photography by Mel Taing/PEM.
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Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Creative Legacy