Search

      Buy tickets

      Past Exhibition

      The Creative Legacy of Nathaniel Hawthorne: Selections from the Phillips Library Collection

      On view September 28, 2019 to March 12, 2020

      Today's hours:

      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

      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

      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. Paper; book. Library call number Clark A16.1. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Walter Silver.

      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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Page details. © Mindy Belloff. New York: Intima Press, 2018. Photography courtesy of Mindy Belloff.

      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. Library call number N7433.4.B45 G65. © Mindy Belloff. New York: Intima Press, 2018. Photography by Mel Taing/PEM.

      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.

      Keep exploring

      Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Creative Legacy

      Blog

      Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Creative Legacy

      3 Min Read

      Blog

      Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Creative Legacy

      3 Min Read

      American Decorative Arts

      Exhibition

      American Art: Traditions Transformed

      Ongoing

      Exhibition

      American Art: Traditions Transformed

      Ongoing

      A black and blue butterfly on an orghid, book print

      Visit

      Phillips Library

      Visit

      Phillips Library

      On This Ground: Being and Belonging in America

      Exhibition

      On This Ground: Being and Belonging in America

      Ongoing

      Exhibition

      On This Ground: Being and Belonging in America

      Ongoing

      Historic Houses & Gardens

      Campus

      Historic Houses & Gardens

      Campus

      Historic Houses & Gardens