Magical history through extraordinary exhibits at The Salem Witch Museum
The Salem Witch Museum in Massachusetts is proud to announce the unveiling of several new artifacts in the exhibit Witches: Evolving Perceptions. These unique objects join a number of fascinating displays in this exhibit dedicated to the long and dark history of the witch.
Among these are four rare books published during the witch trials period. These include a 1600 edition of Heinrich Kramer’s infamous Malleus Maleficarum (“The Hammer of Witches”), a 1586 edition of Johann Weyer’s De Praestigiis Daemonum, a 1729 edition of The Secrets of the Invisible World Disclos’d written by Daniel Defoe (author of Robinson Crusoe), and a 1796 edition of Robert Calef’s famous condemnation of the Salem witch trials More Wonders of the Invisible World. Each of these books offers an important perspective on the early modern belief in witchcraft, ranging from the notorious Malleus Maleficarum, a witch hunter’s manual second only to the Bible in terms of sales for nearly two centuries, to De Praestigiis Daemonum considered to be the first notable book to openly criticize the witch persecutions in Europe.
The exhibit also includes several objects relating to the evolving image of the witch in popular culture and the history of magic. Among these curious items can be found an 1868 edition of the famous grimoire (book of magic) Les Secrets Merveilleux De La Magie Naturelle Du Petit Albert, a first edition of L. Frank Baum’s classic children’s story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and a signed first edition of Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.
Have you ever wondered why witches fly on broomsticks in pop culture? Or if anyone was burned at the stake during the Salem witch trials? And just how old is the famous magician’s spell “Abracadabra”? At the Salem Witch Museum, visitors of all ages are immersed in this fascinating and important history. The exhibits explore the Salem witch trials of 1692, the European witch hunts, the evolving image of the witch, and the enduring relevance of these events in the modern day.
For more information, visit our website www.salemwitchmuseum.com.
