Relatively few people had the opportunity to visit the enigmatic Edward Gorey in his home, and among those who did, even fewer were permitted to see the entire house. Although Gorey was a kind and openhearted man, he was also a private man, usually preferring the company of his cats to that of his two-legged acquaintances.

s is true for most of us, our environments reveal much about who we are. That is certainly the case with Edward Gorey. His house in Yarmouthport, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, was filled with his multifarious collections of objects, from books and bottles to finials and rings, stuffed animals and rocks. He arranged his clutter in an order that made sense only to him.