Barry Humphries's Copy of Sempé à New York

Sempé à New York—known here as Sempé in New York for those who need a translation—shows cartoonist Jean-Jacques Sempé's love for a great city even though it is not Paris. 

The book was published in 2009. Barry Humphrie's copy was personalized by the artist in 2010 with an inscription and a drawing of a saxophonist playing to the canyons of Manhattan.

Humphries was the Australian comic actor and author best known for his portrayal of Dame Edna Everage. He was a lifelong bibliophile and art collector.

Sempé was deft at balancing the city's overwhelming scale with the people who inhabit it.

I believe I am sensing a trend toward moderation in the prices booksellers are asking. Yes, $575 is a lot of money, but this is an outstanding copy of this book.

Jean-Jacques Sempé
AbeBooks listing accessed November 2, 2025

https://www.abebooks.com/signed/Sempe-New-York-Inscribed-Copy-Sketch/32334226764/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&ref_=pe_aep_AEP_wants_buyer-wants&cm_ite=viewbook

Jean-Jacques Sempé
AbeBooks item description 

Note:  For more on Barry Humphries's exquisite collection, see Christie's.

If you'd like to know what cartoonist Charles Addams thought of a Humphries performance as Dame Edna, you need only to dive into this blog's archives.

I personally have been loathe to purchase anything from the U.K. since the August 29 repeal of the de minimus tarriff exemption for packages under $800. 

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