Elephant House, also known as the Edward Gorey House, is the home on Cape Cod that Edward Gorey, author, illustrator, puppeteer and playwright, lived and worked in when he left New York City.
Located at 8 Strawberry Lane, Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, USA 41°42′19″N 70°14′33″W / 41.70528°N 70.2425°W / 41.70528; -70.2425, the home currently serves as a museum celebrating the life and work of Edward Gorey.
Gorey had a healthy respect and passion for animals, was an advocate for them, and contributed to animal welfare organizations. He loved cats in particular, thus the activities of the House, from art education to interactive exhibits, have a special focus on animal welfare.
Gorey enjoyed collecting things of all sorts; some of them discarded objects found at the side of the road. These he loved to arrange and display on his porch and in the rooms of Elephant House. He also had a large collection of books and an overflowing library.
A photo essay on these collections, the house itself, and Gorey’s life there, can be found in the book: Elephant House: Or, The Home of Edward Gorey by Kevin McDermott (Photographer).
A schedule of exhibits at the house can be found at its website.
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The front of the house
Famous quotes containing the words elephant and/or house:
“I asked my mother for fifty cents
To see the elephant jump the fence.
He jumped so high he reached the sky,
And didn’t get back till the Fourth of July.”
—Unknown. I Asked My Mother (l. 1–4)
“I know [my label], in any case: a double face, a charming Janus, and underneath, the house motto: “Be wary”. On my business cards: “Jean-Baptiste Clamence, actor”.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)