Exhibit runs through 11/27/2022
Members only reception and viewing Friday, October 21 at 5:00 PM
“In this world, nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.”
The Kelley House Museum invites you to explore one of life’s certainties—death—through a new exhibit on funeral customs followed throughout Mendocino’s history. Far from an exploration of the macabre, the exhibit reveals the artistry of headstone carvings and mourning parlor décor. Marvel at the business side of burial, as seen in undertaker’s ledgers and burial plot invoices. Historic photos showing the funeral practices observed amongst Mendocino’s diverse cultures, include one of a Taoist altar and another of Pomo baskets used for the deceased. The photo, from the Kelley House Museum archives, shows Dr. James Milliken’s casket in the parlor of the Milliken house, in 1909.
Kelley House Museum Hours: Thursday – Sunday, 11 am – 3 pm 45007 Albion Street, Mendocino https://www.kelleyhousemuseum.org/