Post by JoannaL on Aug 23, 2023 15:25:42 GMT -5
Exploring the Dark Side of Salem
Explore the darker side of Salem’s history at the Peabody Essex Museum. This fall, the museum is presenting “The Salem Witch Trials: Restoring Justice,” which invites members of the public to view authentic objects from the infamous witch trials of 1692. Those attending are led by experienced curators and will have an opportunity to take photos outside the Ropes Mansion (above), aka the Hocus Pocus house, and grab some goodies and costume accessories in the museum’s new pop-up Bat Box Shop on Essex Street.
Salem’s witch trials are a definitive example of intolerance and injustice in American history. This exhibition examines the extraordinary series of events in 1692-3 that led to the deaths of 25 innocent women, men and children, who were wrongfully convicted of crimes. Even after the passage of more than 300 years, the personal tragedies and grievous wrongs that occurred still provoke us to reflect upon and reckon with the experiences of those involved.
The exhibition tells the story through court documents and authentic historic objects presented as tangible fragments directly tied to the people of Salem and nearby communities in the late 17th century. A handwritten petition, a chest (above) owned by Sarah Osborn, a carved loom, a walking stick belonging to George Jacobs: each illuminates an aspect of of the lives of those who lived through Salem’s witch madness and serves as a reminder that the individuals impacted by these harrowing events were actual human beings.
Many Salem area residents realized the judicial proceedings were flawed and the trials unjust. A few years after the trials, victims and their communities took action and attempted to restore the innocence of those wrongly accused and convicted. While the trauma and loss can never be fully repaired, these tangible steps over the centuries have helped to heal a deeply fractured community. The process continues today.
“The Salem Witch Trials: Restoring Justice” is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum and the exhibition will begin September 2 and continue through November 26, 2023.
The Peabody Essex Museum is located at 161 Essex Street on East India Square.
Buy tickets here.
Source: The Peabody Essex Museum.
