It's All About Leather This Weekend

The will swing its doors wide open for the public this Saturday to show off the importance of the tanning industry during its heyday and Peabody's place as the once "Leather Capital of the World."

The museum, which is now only open by appointment during the week, will be holding an open house on Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 205 Washington St.

Bill Power, executive director of the and a key force behind getting the museum built, explained what's in store for this exhibit. He also said that over the past three years of the museum's existence, other open houses on machinery and stock leather were held -- but not on leather itself, like this one.

"There will be interactive exhibits where people will see demonstrations of master leather artists working on their craft," Power said. "It'll be about the process of making leather and what happens to leather after it leaves the factory. They'll be examples of footballs, harnesses, gloves, hats, shoes and pocketbooks."

Admission is free, and there will be complimentary light refreshments, including coffee and pastries.

The exhibit will feature actual finished dyed (in any color imaginable) sheep, cow, alligator, snake and ostrich skins. 

Joe Pechinksy is a local artist who passed away this summer, and in honor of his memory, Pechinsky's leather factory paintings will also be on display, Power said.

"A big part of the process is knowing how to take raw leather and turn it into a dyed, finished product," Power said. "It's usually a light gray color when not dyed, depending on the animal skin." He added that machinery makes it possible to take cow skin and make it look like alligator skin.

The purpose of the event, Power said, is to demonstrate connection to Peabody's former 100 leather factories from the 1850s to 1950s in the downtown and West Peabody, or wherever water was accessible.

"Back then, Peabody had the largest leather business in the world, like Lynn and Brockton's shoe factories, and Danvers' baby shoes factories," he told Peabody Patch. "People used leather for everything, but with the invention of vinyl and plastic, things started to go the other way."

Leather was used for saddles, buggie whips for horses, baseballs, helmets, suspenders, handbags, purses, belts, machinery parts, cowboy and regular boots, luggage sets and more.

It's also, obviously, where the Peabody High Tanners got their name from.

Since it is an open house, guests aren't obligated to stay the entire day, Power says, but are welcome to sit in on all sessions.

As for age groups, he noted some elderly residents, who may have worked in the leather business, will show up, hopefully with their children and grandchildren in tow to see first-hand how leather is and was produced.

"We will illustrate how important leather was in the world, and how important Peabody was in making that leather," Power said.

For more information, check out the Peabody Leatherworkers Museum online.