A Wind that Rose: Susan Phelps and Emily Dickinson
The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum presents A Wind That Rose: Susan Phelps and Emily Dickinson with Anna Plummer on Thursday, August 5, 2021 at 5pm. During this presentation, Anna Plummer will discuss findings from her historic and creative research paper which delves into the life of Emily Dickinson’s friend and member of the Porter-Phelps-Huntington family, Susan Davis Phelps (1827-1865). Phelps allegedly died “of a broken heart”, but her legacy in the PPH collections and local archives reveals a more nuanced story framed by the lively social scene at Amherst College and a rural 19th-century family’s struggle with loss and mental illness. Most notably, the friendship between Phelps and Dickinson brings new depth to some of the poet’s writing known around the world today.
Anna Plummer earned her B.A. in English and Theater & Dance from Amherst College in 2020 and is an emerging public history professional and creative. She is a tour guide at the Emily Dickinson Museum, most recently assisting in the development of museum virtual programming. She interned at the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum during the summer of 2019, where her curiosity about Susan Phelps first sparked. Her early work on this topic has been posted to PPH’s website at https://www.pphmuseum.org/susanphelps.
All of the Bridging the Past and Present talks are free and open to the public. This series is made possible by a grant from the Bridge Street Fund, a special initiative of Mass Humanities to enable open access to local history. Historians Ben Mutschler and Robert Gross will conclude the series on August 18 with a conversation about the world of illness in early New England, the subject of Mutschler’s latest book. To see more details about these events and to access the Zoom links, click here or visit the museum’s website at https://www.pphmuseum.org/bridging. Recordings of past talks are also available at this link.
The Porter-Phelps Huntington Museum’s summer 2021 programs are funded, in part, by grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state Agency; the Amherst Cultural Councils, local agencies, supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council; Mass Humanities Bridge Street Fund; Easthampton Savings Bank, Gage-Wiley & Co. and with the generous support of many local businesses and the public.
The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum will remain closed for onsite public programming for its 2021 season to protect the health and safety of the community and its employees. However, the museum grounds and scenic byway trail systems remain open for your use and enjoyment. The Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum is located at 130 River Drive (Route 47) in Hadley, two miles north of the junction of Routes 9 and 47. The house, which remains unchanged since the family’s occupancy, tells the story of six generations of prominent Hadley residents. The family, prosperous traders turned farmers and prominent members of the local government and social scene, embodied a consistently progressive social consciousness. For further information about tours or other programs, please call the Museum at (413) 584-4699 or visit our website at http://www.pphmuseum.org.