Historically, the use of pillories can be dated back to the mid-1200’s. A pillory is a wooden structure placed on a platform that has three holes cut out intended for an individuals head and wrists to be constrained.  The purpose of a pillory was to publicly display a criminal while providing punishment. Those who were punished by pillory were subjected to public humiliation, taunting and teasing. In most instances, the crowds that were drawn to the pillory would throw extremely unpleasant things at the offender, including rotten food and dead animals. However, in the rare instances when the public believed that the punishment given was unjust, the crowd would bring water, food, and sometimes flower petals for the offender to express their solidarity. Those who were brave enough to resist, offered a different and crucial discussion to the process of persecution.

The Pillory Project is inspired by those single individuals who took upon themselves to take a stand against the inequity of a system.