Daise Terry's Copy of Thurber Country

New Yorker office manager Daise Terry's copy of Thurber Country (1953) is signed by the author James Thurber in the year of publication. As is the case in her copy of Men, Women and Dogs (1943), Ms. Terry is addressed simply as Terry. Thurber inscribes the book to her with just three words that show his obvious affection. Thurber's handwriting has deteriorated significantly over the intervening decade along with his eyesight.

James Thurber
AbeBooks Listing Accessed July 10, 2020

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=5849304315&searchurl=kn%3DDaise%2BTerry%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title7

Note:  At the time of this posting, this Thurber book remains available from the bookseller.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

James Thurber

Daise Terry

Attempted Bloggery's Passionate Index

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Daise Terry's Copy of Men, Women and Dogs by James Thurber

Daise Terry, the New Yorker's office manager, was the fortunate recipient of a copy of James Thurber's Men, Women and Dogs (1943). The extraordinary collection of cartoons is briefly but affectionately inscribed to her by the artist. We have seen in earlier posts that she received other personalized books from such cartoon luminaries as Charles Addams and, it seems likely, Peter Arno.

Inscribed "For Terry
Love and kisses
James Thurber"

James Thurber
AbeBooks Listing Accessed July 9, 2020

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=5849304316&searchurl=bi%3D0%26ds%3D30%26bx%3Doff%26sortby%3D1%26kn%3DNew%2BYorker%26recentlyadded%3Dall%26sgnd%3Don&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp4-_-image18

Note:  At the time of this posting, the Thurber book remains available from the bookseller.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

James Thurber

Daise Terry

Attempted Bloggery's Loving Index

03315

Daise Terry's Copy of Peter Arno's Sizzling Platter?

Peter Arno's Sizzling Platter (1949)
Bookseller image

Peter Arno's Sizzling Platter (1949) signed and inscribed by Peter Arno

Bookseller Image

Bookseller Peter Ellis in the U.K. offers a signed and inscribed copy of Peter Arno's Sizzling Platter (1949), providing a splendid photo of the book although not of the inscription. Still, when asked, the bookseller promptly provided a photo via email. The inscription reads, "Dear Daisy—/With gratitude for/your endless help/Peter Arno." The bookseller notes, "We have been unable to ascertain who the endlessly helpful Daisy might have been." No? Well, that raises an interesting conjecture.

Art editor James Geraghty was hired by the New Yorker in 1939.

—Michael Maslin

Peter Arno: The Mad, Mad World of The New Yorker's Greatest Cartoonist

New York:  Regan Arts, 2016, p. 121

Google Books

Could this Daisy then be Daise Terry, the New Yorker's office manager? As a liaison between the cartoonists and New Yorker editor Harold Ross, she would certainly qualify as the "endlessly helpful" recipient of Arno's gratitude. We also know that at least some of her library has made its way to the market. We may not be able to say for sure, but it seems tantalizingly probable that Daise Terry is the Daisy we're looking for.

Peter Ellis, Bookseller Abe Books listing. The price is 250 GBP.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=17553360512&searchurl=bi%3D0%26ds%3D30%26bx%3Doff%26sortby%3D1%26an%3DPeter%2520Arno%26recentlyadded%3Dall%26sgnd%3Don

Abe Books Item Description

Note:  Santa Lurch? See what cartoonist Charles Addams drew one Christmas for Daise Terry.

Getting enough Peter Arno? Lately, this blog has been wall-to-wall Peter Arno.

Signed books? Yes, signed books are a thing around here this week.

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Lurch as Santa: Daise Terry's Copy of Addams and Evil

New Yorker office manager Daise Terry's advocacy for the young Charles Addams is documented in Ben Yagoda's About Town:  The New Yorker and the World it Made (2000). This year her copy of Addams and Evil (1947) with a full page original watercolor of the Addams Family's Lurch as Santa Claus was auctioned by PBA Galleries for $1,200. John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller subsequently sold it at a tidy profit for $3,750. The watercolor shows Lurch in Santa's garb holding almost the identical pose he has on the book's dust jacket. One assumes that this is as jolly as he gets.

Yagoda, Ben. About Town:  The New Yorker and the World it Made, Simon and Schuster, 2000, p. 119.

About Town by Ben Yagoda

Charles Addams, Lurch as Santa Claus, inscribed "New York/1947/For Daise Terry/Merry Christmas/Chas Addams" in Addams, Charles. Addams and Evil, New York:  Random House, 1947

PBA Galleries June 25, 2015

http://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/366/lot/113696/?url=%2Fview-auctions%2Fcatalog%2Fid%2F366%2F%3Fpage%3D2

John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller Listing
Sold

John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller Listing
Sold

http://www.johnwindle.com/shop/windle/106066.html

Note:  Charles Addams, got him covered.

Books with original drawings, got them covered.

Christmas, got it covered.

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