Charles Addams: Brownstone Snowman Holiday Cards

Charles Addams (American, 1912–1988) Brownstone Snowman Cover for The New Yorker, January 21, 1985 Cartoonist Charles Addams, of Addams Family fame, was inspired by the quirks of his fellow New Yorkers and the singular nature of their city—itself one of Addams’ characters. Perhaps his Brownstone Snowman is Addams’s wink at a frozen New Yorker come in from the cold, celebrating the season in snowman style.

Charles Addams

One of America’s greatest humorists, Charles Addams (American, 1912–1988) made history with his irresistibly dark wit and uncommonly deft hand. As a cartoonist, he is best known for his eccentric Addams Family characters. Morticia, Lurch, and Thing originated in a 1938 issue of the New Yorker, and other quirky Family members followed. Ultimately, television and film interpretations rendered them offbeat icons of popular culture. Throughout his career, Addams was a marquee artist for the New York Times and the New Yorker, and the city itself, home for much of his life, was a character in his cartoons. Charles and his wife, Tee, eventually moved to The Swamp, their storied property in Sagaponack, New York, now home to the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation.