CREEPY, CRAWLY

Seldom are artists named so aptly as Edward Gorey. His illustrations slither and creep into macabre territory, even for such seemingly innocuous subjects as the ABCs. (“X is for Xerxes, devoured by mice.”) Columbia University’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library’s exhibition, Gorey Preserved, presents a welcome chance to examine firsthand the grisly humor of his work, including original, limited-edition etchings, foreign editions, postcards and Christmas cards, theater-related materials (Gorey won a Tony for best costume design for Dracula in 1978), stuffed creatures, and more, as well as photographs of Gorey and one of the fur parkas he often drew himself wearing.

Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m. Starts: June 14. Continues through July 27, 2012