Nothing screams Halloween like a creaking casket lid or a creepy coffin. Sadly, throughout history, these hand-crafted “underground novelties” have gotten a bad knock. Come (if you dare) and join Town of Sullivan Historian Mike Beardsley as we whistle through the cemetery of long-forgotten caskets and casket companies. Marsellus Casket (Syracuse), National Casket (Oneida), Utica Casket (Utica), Asbestos Casket (Lowville), Anti-Trust Casket (Canastota), and many more had their roots right here in Central New York State but are now consigned to history’s graveyard of long-forgotten New York manufacturers. Learn the answers to the cryptic questions of what killed these once-thriving New York institutions.

Among other things, we will discuss how the death of Abraham Lincoln dramatically changed the face of funeral service in America right down to influencing the style of caskets that we use to this day. We will dig into how the fear of grave robbers; the terror of premature burial; and the dread of decomposition all contributed to manufacturers concocting designs for caskets that range from the strange to the completely bizarre. Caskets with telescopes…caskets with built-in bombs…caskets where the deceased sat upright to greet surprised mourners… caskets that looked just like your favorite couch at home…and, even caskets custom-made to look just like your home. American casket designers’ creativity knew no bounds.

Your host for this frightfully fun afternoon, Mike Beardsley, is a 30-year veteran of the legendary Marsellus Casket Company. He is a past Board Member of the Casket and Funeral Supply Association of America. He appeared on the History Channel’s TV series Modern Marvels, and he is the unofficial historian of the American Casket Industry. Missing this chilling presentation would be a grave mistake indeed!

This talk will take place both in-person and via Zoom, and registrants will receive a recording of the talk following its completion. The lecture is free with a $10 suggested donation. Register here: https://eriecanalmuseum.org/store/product/lecture/