A Something Else Entirely Exhibition Disussion - Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler Discuss Muriel Spark and Edward Gorey's The Very Fine Clock

In conjunction with the upcoming centennial exhibition Something Else Entirely, The Illustration Art of Edward Gorey at the Society of Illustrators in New York City, illustrator Lisa Brown and author Daniel Handler will discuss the new publication of The Very Fine Clock and how Edward Gorey influences their own works. The presentation will take place at the Society of Illustrators 128 East 63rd Street, New York City on Wednesday October 15th from 6:30 - 8:30 pm.

Written by Muriel Spark and illustrated by Edward Gorey, The Very Fine Clock is an imaginative children's book that was first published in 1968 by Alfred A. Knopf Publishers. This new edition by Transit Books celebrates Transit's 10 year anniversary and is the first book of their Transit Children's Editions. This edition is being printed using the latest printing technology and new scans of the original Edward Gorey artwork for optimum reproduction quality.

Lisa Brown is a celebrated illustrator, writer and cartoonist. Daniel Handler is the author of many books including the Series of Unfortunate Events series, written under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket. The husband and wife team will discuss the influences of Edward Gorey on their own works.

Seating for the event is limited, and tickets are required to attend. For more information and to secure a ticket, go to the Society of Illustrators Events Page HERE.  

Images courtesy of The Society of Illustrators and Transit Books.

Something Else Entirely, The Illustration Art of Edward Gorey Exhibition

The centennial celebrations honoring Edward Gorey continue with Something Else Entirely, The Illustration Art of Edward Gorey at the Society of Illustrators in New York City from October 4, 2025 through January 3, 2026. Featuring an in-depth section of over 80 pieces of original art, this will be the largest exhibition of original artworks by Edward Gorey in the United States since the critically acclaimed Elegant Enigmas traveling exhibition. The official Exhibition Opening Reception will be held on Thursday October 16th.

Focusing on Mr. Gorey's five decades long career as an illustrator, Something Else Entirely shines a spotlight on Mr. Gorey's illustrative collaborations with a wide variety of authors, publishers, and periodicals. Curated from the archives of The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, San Diego State University and several noted private collections, many of the works included in the exhibition have never before been publicly displayed. 

Located at 128 East 63rd Street in New York City, The Society of Illustrators was founded in 1901 and has year-round themed exhibitions featuring classic and contemporary illustration art. The Society also conducts educational programs and juried  competitions. 

For more information about the exhibition and The Society of Illustrators, go HERE. 

The Gloomy Gallery, A Centennial Exhibition

The Gloomy Gallery, an exhibition celebrating the centennial of Edward Gorey's birth is opening on September 2nd at Harvard University's Houghton Library. Showcasing holdings from the library's extensive collection of Gorey material, the exhibit will feature books, manuscripts, and original artworks, many of which have not been previously displayed.

The exhibit will also include a suite of more than a dozen recently acquired drawings created by Edward Gorey for a college roommate, Tony Smith. For more information on the exhibition, including registration to attend the opening on Thursday September 4th, go HERE.

Images courtesy The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust and The Houghton Library.
 

Theater News

Continuing the celebration of Edward Gorey's 100th birthday year, the Florida base acting troupe Pantasmagoria will be presenting PHANTASMAGORIA XVI "Hauntingly Whimsical Tales" from October 3rd through November 8th at various theaters in various cities in Florida.

Echoing Edward Gorey's own theatrical entertainments from the 1990's, Phantasmagoria combines "Evocative Storytelling, Phantastical Dance, Puppetry, Projections, Original Music and MORE" into an evening of entertainments based on Mr. Gorey's books.

To view the performance schedule and purchase tickets, go HERE. 

Limited Edition Print

Continuing the year long celebration of 100th anniversary of Edward Gorey's birth, the  Edward Gorey Charitable Trust is creating a special limited edition fine art commemorative print. Reproducing artwork from the Edward Gorey Archive, Skeleton Dance is a triptych executed in an expressive drawing style by Mr. Gorey. 

Skeleton Dance features a pencil thin femme fatale engaging in a Danse Macabre with an even thinner dance partner. The images crackle with movement and tension. Is she being lured to her ultimate destruction or is she seducing him to do her bidding?

Printed in exacting detail on fine art paper and presented in a custom archival matte, this exciting print is available for pre-order until Friday July 4. The final edition size will be determined by the number of prints pre-ordered. To reserve your copy go HERE. 

 

Auction News

Considering that 2025 is the centennial of Edward Gorey's birth, the auction market featuring original art by the artist has been a bit quiet. 

Notable exceptions include the Femme Fatale with a Cigarette drawing from Leaves From A Mislaid Album (Gotrham Book Mart, 1972) that sold at Bohnam's Auctions in April (see my post from April 13, 2025), and the collage of Vampire Bat Drawings and Sketches that sold at Swann Auction Galleries Illustration Art auction on June 18, 2025.

Edward Gorey designed the sets and costumes for the 1973 Broadway production of Dracula, visually referencing the 1931 movie that starred Bela Lugosi in the title role. Through his signature crosshatch drawing style Mr. Gorey created an environment that evoked the suspenseful look and feel of the black and white movie. 

In a burst of inspirational genius, Edward Gorey did not just recreate the movie sets, he filled the stage with a seemingly endless variety of bats. Virtually every architectural detail, piece of furniture and costume was decorated with a bat motif. To this end, Mr. Gorey filled sketchbooks with drawings of bats.

On June 5, 2018 several sketchbook pages with Dracula bat designs were sold at Swann.  

The artwork auctioned at Swann this week is a collage of more than half a dozen clippings of bat drawings. Some of the drawings are expressive sketches, while others are fully realized finished pieces of art. Collectively, they take the viewer on a visual journey of Edward Gorey's creative process to embellish the set for this singular production. This remarkable artwork sold for $13,750 (including buyer's premium).

Images courtesy Russell Lehrer, Swann Auction Galleries, Brady Schwind, and The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust. 

Actress Valerie Mahaffey

Actress Valerie Mahaffey has died at the age of 71. Amongst her extensive acting credits on screen, television and stage was her 1979 Broadway performance as Lucy Steward in the Edward Gorey Production of Dracula opposite Raul Julia in the title role. Ms Mahaffey replaced Ann Sachs, the original Lucy.

 

(Photograph by Kenn Duncan. For more images of Mahaffey and Julia in the play, visit the New York Public Library Digital Collections https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/search/index?q=valerie+mahaffey+dracula)