Description:

Addams Charles 1912 - 1988 Fantastic original drawing of Wednesday Addams by Charles Addams, on New Yorker letterhead

Single page inscription with a drawing on stationary with The New Yorker letterhead 4.25" x 7.25", signed and inscribed by Charles Addams as "Chas Addams" adding a great full-length sketch of Wednesday Addams. Near fine with residual small mounting remnants to corners with expected center fold.

A spectacular example of an original full length sketch of Wednesday Addams in her classic dour pose, hand on hip, and long stringy hair. Addams signed the artwork in his classic signature of "Chas Addams", along with his neat inscription to David of "For David Wood with very best wishes".

In 1935 Addams was hired by The New Yorker as a regular cartoonist. The pay was modest_ÑÓjust $35 per cartoon_ÑÓbut the magazine allowed him to explore his voice and imagination as well as hone the dark humor that would come to define his work. His famous, "creepy and kooky" Addams Family, later adapted for television and film productions. He demonstrated an appreciation for the macabre at an early age. He had a deep fascination for coffins and skeletons, as well as a good practical joke. "We had a dumbwaiter in our house," he later recounted, "and I'd get inside on the ground floor, and then very quietly I'd haul myself up to grandmother's floor, and then I'd knock on the door, and when she came to open the door, I'd jump out and scare the wits out of her."

Addams's mind went to dark, ghoulish places few cartoonists would allow themselves to venture. His popularity extended to some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Cary Grant wanted to meet the man who called himself "A Defrocked Ghoul," as did Alfred Hitchcock, who once showed up at Addams's New York home unannounced to see the cartoonist in the flesh. The "Addams family" cartoons delighted in turning upside down our assumptions about normality and its relationship to good and evil. Charles Addams tapped into the vein of American gothic that has a touch of paranoia about it, seeing behind every comforting faÕ_ade the uncomfortable truth about the duality of human nature. But where Gothic literature usually combined these themes with romance, Addams made the horror hilarious: disturbing, but at the same time friendly, identifiable, and acceptable.

A highly sought original drawing which would be stunning matted and framed to include both the original New Yorker letterhead image and the signed original artwork.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000