There are only a few great moments in the world which are consistently celebrated and grieved: the birth of a new human being, the marriage of a human being, and the death of a human being. Every other event seems to pale beside these. People mark the personal achievements of others, such as acquiring a new job or home, but none are met with the same intensity as getting the opportunity to marry the person you love or to welcome a newborn onto the planet or to say goodbye to those we’ve loved and who are no longer sharing this journey with us. If you come to Philadelphia, you’ll want to explore all the city has to offer. Check into a room here , then see that famous cracked Liberty Bell, take a look at the Franklin Institute, wander around Independence Hall. But, in all of that, take some time to see one of the more unusual museums you’ll ever come across: The Museum of Mourning Art over in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.
The exhibits in this museum focus on how we experience the last stage of life, displaying objects that related to death, such as skulls and skeletons, crossed bone, even more ethereal and symbolic objects, such as the Lamb and angels. These art forms may be detailed on clocks, books, gates, jewelry, ceramics — indeed, any number of art forms. Most of the exhibits here originate from the 17th and 19th Centuries, illustrating what people thought about death and heaven and hell. There’s a horse-drawn hearse at the Museum of Mourning Art, surrounded by an Willow and Lamb Iron Gate, meant to suggest God and the Resurrection. There’s seventy pieces of Mourning Jewelry. These items were given to friends and families as keepsakes from the deceased; the arrangements for the gifts were provided in wills. George Washington, for example, gave five rings to friends; when the Reverend George Whitefield was executed, he gave three of these rings to the men who killed him.
In the museum, you’ll also see an example of a Cemetery Gun. This odd device was meant to discourage grave robbing. At the time, physicians and artists, who needed to study anatomy, sometimes stole from the graves. The guns were rigged to fire, if a robber tripped a wire; however, this device didn’t discriminate between robbers and mourners, and so its use was outlawed.
In order to experience one of the more unusual museums in Pennsylvania, you’ll need to make a reservation, whether you’re by yourself or in a group. If you’re making an individual reservation, though, it’s possible to make the arrangements just a day or two in advance .
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