Description

New York: Andrew Alpern, 1980. Clamshell box, 9 x 6½ inches, containing 37 drawings printed on 23 sheets and 1 envelope of various sizes and colors of paper (two colored, several folded), plus illustrated title card, contents sheet, and colophon card. Beige cloth over boards, spine lettered in gilt. Numbered and signed by the author on the colophon and by the publisher on the contents sheet.

One of 400 numbered copies published for sale; an additional 26 copies, identical except for the color of their box, were lettered and signed for private use. Ten numbered copies and three lettered copies have been additionally signed by Andrew Alpern in 2024 for the Edward Gorey Charitable Trust.

A collection of loose prints of drawings by Edward Gorey compiled and published by collector and scholar Andrew Alpern. The artwork was generally culled from a large collection Mr. Gorey had left on deposit at the Gotham Book Mart, a combination of unpublished drawings and drawings made for periodicals and holiday greeting cards that had never been reprinted. The title, pronounced, “ephemera,” was chosen by Mr. Gorey, who also provided the lettering and a self-portrait for the title leaf.

Mr. Alpern, an architect, attorney, and historian, later donated his expansive collection of Edward Gorey books, ephemera, and collectible merchandise to Columbia University; it was shown at the Butler Library’s 2012 exhibition, Gorey Preserved: The Collection of Andrew Alpern. In memory of his friend, George Bixby, founder of the Albondocani Press who assisted in the project and died in 2023, Mr. Alpern has donated these remaining sets to the Trust for sale to support our mission. At our request, he has signed the contents sheet of each box.

Toledano A78b.

Fine Print

Yay! No fine print