"Rest in Peace" is now open at the Museum on Main Street

Posted: Oct 16, 2012 at 4:52 PM [Oct 16, 2012]

This new exhibit encourages visitors to view, experience, and discuss what modern society might otherwise deem taboo. Come see what it was like to have a funeral with the coffin in the parlor of the family home in the 19th century and learn about the elaborate mourning customs of that era. Gain a new understanding of the importance of embalming and the role it played in turning funeral services into a profitable industry. Read about the histories of funeral businesses in Washtenaw County. There are artifacts, mourning dresses, photographs, a private mausoleum and a unique cemetery with a digital pathway filled with meaningful symbolism.

 Located at 500 N. Main Street., at the corners of Beakes, E. Kingsley and N. Main. The Museum is open weekends, 12 noon- 4PM on Saturday and Sunday or by calling ahead during the week at 734-662-9092. Groups are welcome and if you see a white van in the parking lot, stop in!

The environments and displays created for this exhibit will showcase many artifacts from the WCHS collection, including a rare mourning ring from the early 19th century. And Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, in Chelsea, has graciously loaned several authentic funerary items for the duration of the exhibit. This exhibit will be up from October 13, 2012 to February 17, 2013.