Dogear Wryde Postcards - Interpretive Series

In 1979, Edward Gorey published Dogear Wryde Postcards: Interpretive Series. Issued as 13 black and white cards in a printed envelope, each card in the series features a lizard giving a charades-style interpretation of a word that begins with the letter “I”. This set of cards has been reprinted in The Betrayed Confidence in black & white, and several individual cards appear in date/calendar books in color.

In an exercise that would have driven lesser men mad, Mr. Gorey decided to hand color 76 sets of these postcards (50 numbered and 26 lettered) – that is 1064 individual watercolor paintings (a cover and 13 cards for each set)! I am showing set #29/50. An additional hand signed colophon page is included with each hand colored set signifying the limitation. Of the several hand colored limited edition Gorey pieces created over the years, this is the Holy Grail. The water coloring is magnificently executed, with subtle shadings and metallic paints.

Because of the amount of work involved in creating so many individual painted cards, the Interpretive Series was rather late arriving to be sold through Gotham Book Mart. In 1980, I had the good fortune to be visiting New York City the week these unusual Gorey items were delivered to GBM. At that time, I was still getting myself acquainted with the works of EG and GBM. Thankfully, Matthew Monaghan (director of all things Gorey at GBM at the time) told me not to buy the several books I came in to get, and instead advised me to spend all my money on this single item. I have always been glad I followed that advice!