The Edward Gorey House

The Edward Gorey House is a historic house museum dedicated to the life, work, and passions of American author, illustrator, playwright, set and costume designer: Edward Gorey. In 1979, Edward Gorey purchased the 200-year old sea captain’s home at 8 Strawberry Lane on the Yarmouth Port Common, Cape Cod, Massachusetts where he lived for fourteen years.[1] After his death in 2000, the house was purchased through a grant to become a museum (2002) celebrating and preserving his life and works. The house reflects the artist’s personality, with collected blue glass bottles lining the windows, hidden treasures throughout the display cases, and gravestones for his created characters on the lawn. The kitchen is exactly how he left it and his studio, nested in the attic, is restricted. Papers, letters, books, ticket stubs, found roadside objects, his long fur coat, and purchasable goods from the gift shop are just some of the enticing elements at this historic house museum. The Gorey House even features an A-Z scavenger hunt for museum go-ers, a child’s challenge I found difficult to complete because of the collection’s complexity. His artistry is eccentric and peculiar, featuring dark themes of “murder and mayhem, yet in the whimsical manner.”[2] The house reflects the traditional Cape Cod architecture and is significantly a community tribute to an artist passionate about the world he lives in. Giving to several charities on Cape Cod, along with others around the world, Edward Gorey was a great advocate of animal welfare; The Edward Gorey Trust continues to donate to various charities and organizations. The Edward Gorey House Museum is a cultural heritage site that hopes to educate and inspire its visitors by offering a unique, personal, and well-preserved introduction to the artist Edward Gorey.

Mission:
“The Edward Gorey House celebrates and preserves the life and works of Edward Gorey, an American author, illustrator, playwright, set and costume designer. In honor of his legacy, The House, owned and lived in by Gorey himself, displays his diverse and extraordinary talents and reflects his distinct personality. The House also honors Gorey's passion and concern for animals, raising awareness about local and national animal welfare issues. As a dedicated commemoration to Gorey, the House strives to educate and inspire its visitors, offering a unique introduction to Edward Gorey, the artist and person.

The Edward Gorey House is indebted to the generosity of the Highland Street Foundation who purchased the House in 2002 and enabled the museum to be established. The Highland Street Foundation is committed to addressing the needs and concerns of families throughout Massachusetts and California in areas of education, housing, mentoring and the arts. They have contributed more than $135 Million dollars to many note-worthy non-profit organizations, among them, the Edward Gorey House. Visit www.highlandstreet.org for more info.

See more at: http://www.edwardgoreyhouse.org/about-gorey-house

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-PKZb4YE2g
This video slideshow captures some visual aspects of the collection and the structure and landscape of the house, with a cool soundtrack.

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[1] About the Gorey House. (2016). Retrieved March 20, 2016, from http://www.edwardgoreyhouse.org/about-gorey-house

[2] Duca, R. (2014, June 07). At the Edward Gorey House, a deeper look at the man behind the macabre - The Boston Globe. Retrieved from https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/travel/2014/06/07/edward-gorey-house-deeper-look-man-behind-macabre/nZLFOgCGv58Gj2iTZdotwO/story.html