Monday, November 4, 2024

Auction News

There have been several recent auctions that included original art by Edward Gorey. On October 17, 2024 Leland Little Auctions of Hillsborough, North Carolina offered a piece from The Dream World of Dion McGregor, published in 1964 by Bernard Greis Assosiates, New York. The provenance note on this piece stated that the art came from the collection of Don Patterson, executive editor at Bernard Greis. 

Titled Cottage for Sale,  this creepy image illustrates a particularly gruesome tale of a house of torture being shown to perspective renters with the sales pitch given as if the house is a quaint home for rent. Edward Gorey chose what is quite possibly the least horrific part of the tour for this illustration. "And the closet space...each one with a noose hanging in there...". This piece sold for $4920.00 (including buyer's premium).

On October 24th Bohnam's auctions of Los Angeles featured two works by Edward Gorey from the collection of Leonard Stanley. The first, titled Lawn on Malta is a Zen landscape created in 1974 featuring rocks that look like cats alongside sleeping cats that look like rocks. This tranquil scene sold for $12,800.00 (including buyer's premium).

The second piece included in the sale is a beautifully rendered set design from Edward Gorey's seminal 1977 Broadway production of Dracula.

Edward Gorey designed the set with a framework of five arched openings for inset panels which could be quickly changed for each act. This Act 1 set piece is the wall panel inset on the right. The books filling the shelves were indicated on other set drawings for this scene. The drawing sold for $8960.00 (including buyer's premium).

Images courtesy of Leland Little Auctions, Hillsborough, NC, and Bohnams Auctions, Los Angeles, CA. Dracula Act 1 set photo by Martha Swope, New York Public Library Digital Collections.


Thursday, October 31, 2024

A Gorey Inspired Puppet

My husband Bill Campbell likes to surprise me each year with an Edward Gorey inspired toy that he makes by hand. With the publication of Carol Verburg's Gorey/Theater book, Bill began working on a hand puppet based on the actors Gorey created for his Le Théâtricule stoïque puppet troupe.

Bill was working towards completing a puppet in time for our Thanksgiving anniversary, but moved things up when I was asked to participate in Carol's October 15th book launch party. With only photos of Edward Gorey's original puppets as reference, Bill sculpted a head and then sewed several practice bodies in plain cloth until he felt he had gotten the proportions correct. He then used a "Gorey appropriate" cloth and sewed the final body. The addition of a parasol made from antique lace completed the figure.

Since none of Edward Gorey's original puppet actors were available to attend the book launch, Bill's understudy puppet was displayed. After her star turn at the event, our Lady With A Lace Parasol has taken up residence in a Chinese Urn in a corner of our dining room.


Everyone knows that actors will perform at a moments notice and our Lady With A Lace Parasol is the consummate understudy, always angling for her turn in the spotlight. Here she is, performing to Absinthe Frappé by Victor Herbert. Written in 1904 for It Happened In Nordland, the tune is played on our antique 1910 Regina music box.


Sunday, October 20, 2024

Theatrical Book Launch Event

On Tuesday October 15th Carol Verburg's soon to become a classic book on Edward Gorey's theater career was launched with a book signing event at Big Hill Books in Minneapolis. It was an honor to be Carol's featured guest at the event.


Carol and I discussed Edward Gorey's life long fascination with theater work beginning with his first Christmas concert set design at the Francis Parker School in Chicago, his work with The Poets Theater while attending Harvard University, his enormous success with Dracula on the Cape and on Broadway, and finally to his "entertainments" in the 1990's on the Cape. The talk was illustrated with several pieces of original set design artwork by Mr. Gorey from my personal collection.

After the talk, those that attended were able to purchase the new book and have it personally signed by Carol. The evening was a huge success and was the first of several book launch events across the country that Carol will be attending.

For those who were not in attendance, here are excerpts from our presentation on The Theatrical Adventures of Edward Gorey.


Thursday, October 3, 2024

Goreyana Anniversary

It is always a shock to realize that yet another year of sharing stories and events about the life and works of Edward Gorey has flown by. 

As Goreyana turns 16 and begins its 17th year, we are pleased to announce that Irwin Terry will be joining author Carol Verburg at her first book launch event to celebrate the publication of her book The Theatrical Adventures of Edward Gorey on Tuesday October 15th at Big Hill Books in Minneapolis. 

In addition to hearing Carol talk about her professional theatrical experiences and personal friendship with Edward Gorey, several pieces of never before displayed original theater set designs from Irwin Terry's collection that are featured in the book will be on display at the event.

The event will take place at Big Hill Books, 405 Penn Avenue South in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Tuesday October 15th from 7 - 8pm.
 

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Carol Verburg Book Events

The curtain is about to rise on Carol Verburg's new book The Theatrical Adventures of Edward Gorey and there will be several chances to meet the author in person. The first book event will be held in Minneapolis on October 15th with several other events to follow. Plan your visits now!



Wednesday, August 14, 2024

The Listing Attic

I completed my collection of first edition books by Edward Gorey some time ago; but every now and then a special copy of a book comes along that I feel must be added to the collection. This was the case with a copy of The Listing Attic that I acquired earlier this year.

The Listing Attic was published in 1954 and is Edward Gorey's second book. It is a volume of illustrated limericks by Mr. Gorey that follows in the limerick tradition of often being suggestively naughty without being offensive (unless one is easily offended). The primary copy in my collection was acquired in the late 1980's and is in pristine condition (see images at the top of the post). It is a stated first edition that is signed by Mr. Gorey and inscribed to me by him, so I never considered buying a second copy.

This past Spring, I heard there was a copy of The Listing Attic being offered at a book fair with a hand written limerick by Edward Gorey in the front of the book. I was not able to attend this fair but with the kindly assistance of another dealer I was able to purchase this copy. Due to the deep printed colors and the low quality of the paper, the dust jacket and illustrated covers of this book easily show noticeable signs of rubbing and scuffing. The inscribed copy shows the usual signs of wear, indicating that this book was handled, read, and enjoyed often. I have no doubt that the previous owner(s) also proudly shared the inscription with their friends.

The inscription is written on the green front flyleaf. There is no presentation name, but this was clearly given by Edward Gorey to a good friend as he rarely wrote lengthy inscriptions in books.

Written in the same distinctive hand lettered type that he used in the book, the limerick reads:

A well-set-up Mother of two

      Quite often had nothing to do

                At night she would babel

                And roll on the gravel

    But daytimes she spent making stew

                                        Harvey Gorey

It is presumed that the name Harvey Gorey was an inside joke between Mr. Gorey and the person who received this copy, but the exact meaning of the name is lost to time. We also have to use our imaginations to picture what the illustration might have been to accompany this limerick, if it had appeared within the pages of the book.

On a side note, flipping my 2024 Edward Gorey wall calendar earlier this month revealed Edward Gorey's sketch for the cover of the book with an alternative title. All the major elements for the book cover are in place, including the first appearance of The Black Doll in the central second story window. The major change is the title of the book. This volume went through several name changes before publication. 

Mr. Gorey noted on the reverse of this sketch that it is the "Second Jacket Design for 'The Listing Attic'". An earlier cover design with yet another title, "The Disrespectful Summons" is also in the Gorey Archives. That title would finally be used 17 years later with a new story.

Book and inscription images by Irwin Terry. Images of the front and back of the sketch courtesy The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust.


Thursday, August 1, 2024

Auction News

As part of their Summer Cocktail Soiree at the Strand Bookstore in New York City, the Edward Gorey Charitable Trust auctioned 22 items on Wednesday July 31, 2024. Included in the lots were books, posters, prints, personal items, and original artwork by Edward Gorey. Every lot offered was sold and the proceeds will benefit the Trust's charitable endeavors.

Of particular interest were three personal items owned and used by Edward Gorey including a pair of mod sunglasses ($1550.00), an art pen ($1150.00) used by Mr. Gorey for illustration work, and a large chameleon ring ($1675.00). Prints and posters realized strong auction prices with many unusual print editions being represented.

Rounding out the auction items were five pieces of original illustration artwork. A rare design for a coffee mug related to Mystery!, the popular television program from the 1990's on PBS sold for $4750.00. This delightful image shows a lady and gentleman eyeing up each other in a conspiratorial way while another woman lays dead on the floor, presumably having drunk a glass of wine that had been tampered with. Who done it? We can only guess!

Other original art included an illustration from 1986 for an issue of Vogue magazine ($4500.00 pictured at the top of this post), an image of Lizzie Borden created for use as a postcard ($5750.00 two pieces of art, pictured at the bottom of the post), and a fantastic full color painting for the cover of the book Things: Stories of Terror and Shock ($6250.00).

Rounding out the art being offered was an important Christmas card image from 1959/1960 that Edward Gorey created for The Looking Glass Library ($5000.00). This whimsical image captures the innocent playfulness of childhood while paying homage to Mr. Gorey's fondness for toys and stuffed animals.

This was the second annual Summer Cocktail Soiree hosted by the Edward Gorey Charitable Trust and friends and fans are already anticipating the next gathering!

All images courtesy The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust