As every inveterate Googler must know by now, yesterday was Charles Addams's birthday. What you might not know is that his first wife, Barbara Jean Day, was the inspiration for Morticia (pictures follow), that Charles was a latter-day Casanova whose romantic interests included Greta Garbo and Jackie O., that he tended to be as well and conventionally dressed as the art and furniture he collected were mildly unappetizing, and that his peculiar compilation of source material,
Dear Dead Days, has inspired cabals of the initiated for generations.
Derbies off, Charles A., and thanks tons, Barbara J. D.!
Mr. Addams and funster Ms. Day:
A bit of bio for your delectation:
NYTimes
Squidoo
My favorite of his books:
One of the many images it contains:
