Salem, Massachusetts, founded in 1626, is associated with the infamous Salem witch trials of 1692. It is also associated with the sea, and that means the import of commodities and the industry of whaling. It is believed that Salem crews were hunting whales for oil even before Nantucket got into the game. Salem’s Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) has holdings rich with imports dating to America’s first centuries. And now it opens the first exhibition on the book arts of what is arguably the greatest American novel: Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. Published in 1851, the story of Captain Ahab and the white whale that took his leg is a literary phenomenon that began as a commercial failure. Written by a man with a leviathan love of language, the book is a plum and a challenge for illustrators. This show celebrates the many artistic visions that have been brought to bear on the monumental tale. More than 50 books are on display, drawn almost entirely from PEM’s Phillips Library Collection. —Laura Jacobs