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.