Collecting the Globe: The Salem East India Marine Society Museum (POSTPONED)

PEM Associate Curator George Schwartz shares fresh insights from his new book “Collecting the Globe: The Salem East India Marine Society Museum,” the first in-depth exploration of PEM’s founding institution. From 1799 to 1867, when Salem was a premier American port and launching pad for international trade, the East India Marine Society Museum was one of the most influential collecting institutions in the United States. The museum’s collection developed at a nexus of global exchange, with donations of artwork, objects and flora and fauna pouring in from distant ports of call. At a time when the country was filled with Barnumesque exhibitions, visitors to this museum could circumnavigate the globe and gain an understanding of the world and their place within it. A book signing follows the talk.

Made possible by The Lowell Institute.