Announcing The Haunted Tea-Cosy by Edward Gorey

A 1998 postcard published by the Gotham Book Mart in New York announces Edward Gorey's holiday book The Haunted Tea-Cosy: A Dispirited and Distasteful Diversion for Christmas. Who could possibly have resisted?

Edward Gorey
AbeBooks listing accessed November 2, 2025

https://www.abebooks.com/paper-collectibles/Edward-Gorey-Haunted-Tea-Cosy-1998-Publication/32165530501/bd

Edward Gorey
AbeBooks item description

Note:  The item is still available from A&D Books at post time.

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S. J. Perelman to Harvey Orkin and His Son Anthony

Two postcards from humorist S. J. Perelman have made their way onto the market via the estate of writer and talent agent Harvey Orkin (1918-1975). Orkin won an Emmy award for "You'll Never Get Rich" which starred Phil Silvers as Sergeant Bilko. The first postcard, chronologically, was sent in 1968 from Florence, Italy.

A 1974 postcard was mailed to Orkin's Fifth Avenue Columbia Pictures office from Sarasota, Florida.

Finally, a 1975 letter to Orkin's son Anthony V., here referred to as "Avo," is written locally on New Yorker magazine stationery. Perelman aims to share his love of words with the young man. Of note, he does not share his love of cheesecake postcards.

Each of these notes is priced at $180 on AbeBooks. (On eBay, they're $188.)

1.

S. J. Perelman
AbeBooks listing accessed September 9, 2024

https://www.abebooks.com/paper-collectibles/Humorous-Autograph-Postcard-Signed-Perelman/31967342352/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&ref_=pe_aep_AEP_wants_buyer-wants&cm_ite=viewbook_lowk

2.

S. J. Perelman
AbeBooks listing accessed September 9, 2024

https://www.abebooks.com/paper-collectibles/Humorous-Autograph-Postcard-Signed-Perelman/31967337476/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&ref_=pe_aep_AEP_wants_buyer-wants&cm_ite=viewbook

3.

S. J. Perelman
AbeBooks listing accessed September 9, 2024

https://www.abebooks.com/paper-collectibles/Typed-Note-Signed-New-Yorker-Stationery/31967332880/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&ref_=pe_aep_AEP_wants_buyer-wants&cm_ite=viewbook_high

June 28, 2025 Update:  The 1975 letter was cross-listed on eBay where it sold for a best offer.

Note:  Readers fortunate enough to be in possession of a postcard or letter from S. J. Perelman and who need a blog on which to have it posted know where to find me.

Can someone please start a Wikipedia page for Harvey Orkin? Or is that asking too much?

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Peynet Sketch of The Lovers

Raymond Peynet's cartoons of the lovers have achieved worldwide fame. A charming blue ballpoint pen sketch of the lovers done on the back of a postcard and inscribed to Gérard Lema has been available on eBay for at least ten months. The photograph on the postcard shows the bandstand in Valence where Peynet was first inspired to draw his famous characters back in 1942 and which is now named for them.

Le Kiosque des Amoureux de Peynet, Valence, Drôme
Postcard photo by La Cigogne

Raymond Peynet
eBay Listing Retrieved April 2, 2017

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Raymond-PEYNET-The-Lovers-DRAWING-ORIGINAL-SIGN-/172374868166?hash=item282257c0c6:g:pUsAAOSwo0JWJT8u

Raymond Peynet
eBay Item Description

It is still listed on eBay, although with currency fluctuations it is at a higher price in US dollars:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Raymond-PEYNET-The-Lovers-DRAWING-ORIGINAL-SIGN-/182837242166?hash=item2a91f2e936

Note:  This is the first appearance of Raymond Peynet on the blog, but it needn't be the last. Attempted Bloggery requests reader scans or photos of other original art by Peynet.

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02458

A Sigmund Freud Postcard Signed by Ralph Steadman

A promotional postcard for Ralph Steadman's Sigmund Freud (1979) boldly inscribed and signed with a black marker by the artist a month after publication now has made its way to eBay. Offered at 70 GBP, the seller notes, "I have priced the items to sell, however if you wish to make an offer please keep it 'real.'" This raises the question of just what the "real" value of a a fairly scarce item like this is. It's a nice enough postcard with two lovely illustrations from Steadman's book. While Steadman obviously lavished time and effort on these superb illustrations, the inscription itself is somewhat perfunctory. One way to determine the "real" value would be to let the market decide it. Start the bidding on eBay at, say, one pound sterling and see where the bidding goes over the course of a week. One could infer, though, that this method may be a trifle too "real" for the eBay seller.

Promotional postcard for Sigmund Freud, 1979, inscribed "For Paul/From Ralph Steadman/6-11-79."

Ralph Steadman, Sigmund Freud cover illustration, 1979

eBay Listing as of October 18, 2016

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/RALPH-STEADMAN-SIGNED-CARTOON-CARD-GONZO-ILLUSTRATOR-/282214912782?hash=item41b551d30e:g:Q4IAAOSwdzVXq0kD

eBay Item Description

Note:  Ralph Steadman's retrospective—let's call it "A Retrospective:  Ralph Steadman"—is in its final days at the Society of Illustrators in Manhattan. Go see it and take your analyst along.

Got anything awesome to share on this blog? Original artwork, scribblings, correspondence, inscriptions, or musings by Ralph Steadman of enduring value—defined here as at least seventy GBP—are welcome here.


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