Connected | May 27, 2015

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"Turn fresh eyes on old buildings."

That was the call to action for some 20 photographers who are experts on the social media platform Instagram. They joined us for a special preview of PEM’s Ropes Mansion. Following an extensive six-year renovation and conservation project, the Ropes Mansion has reopened to the public. It’s been a remarkable undertaking, as chronicled on an earlier blog post. And, as our Instagrammers found out, the result is quite snappy indeed.

bloghsecrush002.jpg#asset:10674 — Ropes Mansion Holiday Decorations. © 2015 Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola.

bloghsecrush003.jpg#asset:10675 — Curry & Preston, Coffeepot, ca. 1845. Silver. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 11 3/4 x 13 x 6 inches (29.845 x 33.02 x 15.24 cm). Peabody Essex Museum, Gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989. R6.2

With the prompt to tag each of their images with #HistoricHouseCrush, our Instagrammers set off to explore the house and make their own visual discoveries.

Joining us was Janet Blyberg (@jcbphoto), PEM’s assistant curator, who is also a bit of an Instagram powerhouse. She posts compelling and downright dreamy photos of New England life to her nearly 40 thousand followers. Speaking with the The Boston Globe about the Ropes Mansion Instagram meet-up, Janet notes:

© 2015 Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Walter Silver.

"A lot of the people who came were in their 20s and were excited to have this access. Usually it’s, ‘Put your iPhones away. No photos.’ This is a new way to experience the museum, and people have a takeaway that they’re creating something themselves. That’s definitely a win for the museum."

So just what did our #HistoricHouseCrush Instagrammers come up with? Search Instagram for #HistoricHouseCrush and see. In the meantime enjoy the waterfall of images below from our talented staff.

Mark Pitman, cabinetmaker, (American, 1779–1856), Chest, ca. 1817. Wood, mirror. Salem, Massachusetts. 71 x 44 x 22 1/2 inches (180.34 x 111.76 x 57.15 cm). Peabody Essex Museum, Gift of the Trustees of the Ropes Memorial, 1989. R1112.AB.