The collection includes spooky books and fantastic illustrations from Edward Gorey
Tucked away in a hidden suite of rooms on the fifth floor of the San Diego State University Library is the Edward Gorey Personal Library. The collection includes over 26,000 books, ephemeral notes, and the scribblings Gorey slipped into these books.
Gorey was an artist, writer, illustrator, children's book designer, and theater designer. Gorey was also a puppet show creator, a button maker, a cat lover, and a purveyor of 20th century nonsense who inspired the likes of Tim Burton.
His most well-known works include “The Gashlycrumb Tinies” (1963), “The Doubtful Guest” (1957), and “The Wuggly Ump” (1963). He might be familiar as the illustrator of the animated opening sequence of PBS’s “Mystery!” series.
His set designs for the 1970s Broadway run of Dracula set an iconic Gothic tone for a generation. He was born in 1925 and died in 2000, and his personal library arrived at SDSU in 2009.
Gorey collaborated with Peter Neumeyer, the founder of the National Center for the Study of Children's Literature at SDSU, on three children's books, and they maintained their friendship and correspondence over the years. Another connection was San Diego State College alumnus Andreas Brown, owner of New York City's Gotham Book Mart, where Gorey purchased books. Additional material on these connections are mentioned in the oral histories “An Interview with Peter Neumeyer, “A Talk Given by Andreas Brown,” and an interview of Linda Salem by the Edward Gorey Charitable Trust.
Gorey’s personal library encompasses a variety of subjects: Art, art history, ballet, biography, novels (British, French, detective, gothic), children's literature, general literature, games, gardens, history, hymns, illustration, India, Japan, mystery, poetry. Over 9,000 items from the Gorey Collection have been processed and can be found in the library catalog.
The many books on haunted houses, ghosts, and other spooky things are of particular interest at this time of year. Gorey used his extensive library to inspire his illustrations and once said, “It all comes from books.” He had a particular obsession with death which he explored through the lens of surrealism. When asked, “Do you fear death? Do you think about it often?” Gorey replied, “I think about it constantly. Doesn't everyone?” He is particularly well known for his depictions of death (often quite gruesome) in books intended for children.
Managed by librarian Linda Salem, the Edward Gorey Personal Library is a working collection. Through her exhibits, publications, papers, and events about the collection, Salem seeks to share the collection with Gorey scholars and fans. Exhibit curators, authors, and instructors have relied on Salem's help using the Edward Gorey Personal Library to accomplish their goals.
Salem also uses the collection in her teaching, including lectures on the history of children’s literature illustration. Gorey taught courses in children's literature that covered nonsense authors from Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll to such illustrators as Walter Crane, Kate Greenaway, and Randolph Caldecott. Salem continues his tradition in her own presentations.
SDSU will mark the centenary of Gorey's birth in early 2025. Salem is working to create a digital collection of ephemera found in the Personal Library. She is also working closely with the Edward Gorey Charitable Trust as it plans “a yearlong birthday party full of programs, partnerships, and new product launches.”
