another amazing rich freak: edward james

 We all all wish 

we

were 

rich and famous. 

(Well, maybe not all, but anyone reading this certainly does....)

We also wish,

(whether we admit it or not) 

that we could do,

and buy, 

whatever we want.

Well, 

Edward James could, and did.

But unlike a lot of his ilk,

he had amazing taste,

 and was in the right place at the right time,

or

if you prefer, 

he was placed at the right place and right time....

 Monkton House

 Dining Room

Monkton House

1986

"First International Surrealist Exhibition"

London,

1936

L to R

Salvador Dali, Edward James, Paul Eluard, Eileen Agar, Herbert Read,

Stellan Mörner, Nucsch Eluard, Roland Penrose, ELT Mesens.,

 Diana Brinton Lee, and Rupart Lee.

 Salvador Dali

"Chair"

1936

 Man Ray

"Photograph of Edward James"

1937

 Rene Magritte

Oil on Canvas

"Pleasure Principle"

1937

Salvador Dali

"Lobster Telephone"

1938

Salvador Dali with Edward James

"Mae West Lips Sofa"

1938

 Andre Derain

Body Mask for Bearded Genie from

"Fastes"

1933

 Edward James

Chillin' in his pool with bust 

by

Isamu Noguchi

 "Map Room"

Really? "Map Room"? More like

"BJ Room"

Monkton House

1986

 Tilly Losch

"Footprint Carpet"

1930s

West Dean House

1995

 Rene Magritte

"The Future of Statues"

1937

 Mariana Yampolsky

Xilitia

1996

 Mariana Yampolsky

Xilitia

1996

 Mariana Yampolsky

Xilitia

1996

 Mariana Yampolsky

Xilitia

1996

 Edward James

in

Xilitia
(Matt, I KNOW you love that poncho!)

 Eddie James

in front of his Salvador Dali

"Sleep"

 Ed with

"Dream of Venus"

model

1939

 Ed and Sal

discussing

"Dream of Venus"

New York World's Fair 

1939

 Norman Parkinson

"Edward James on the stairway of 

35 Wimpole Street"

Late 1930s

 Paul Nash

Bathroom for

35 Wimpole Street

1930s

 Norman Parkinson

"Edward James and Igor Markevitch

in the 'Tent Room' at

35 Wimpole Street"

Late 1930s

 Corridor

Monkton House

 Entrance to 

Plutarco Gastelum's House

Xilitla

1993

 Mariana Yampolsky

Xilitia

1996

 Edward with

Liz Guinness (va-voom), 

Poppy and Zita Lloyd,

Jasimine Guinness and Patrick Guinness

 Cecil Beaton

"Edward James"

Late 1930s

 Cecil Beaton

"Edward James"

1948

 Cecil Beaton

"Edward James"

1948

 Cecil Beaton

"Edward James"

1948

 Norman Parkinson

"Edward Kames with Igor Markevitch

and his wife at 35 Wimpole Street"

Late 1930s

 Norman Parkinson

"Edward James with Rene Magritte's

'The Future of Statues'"

1930s

 Edward James posing behind 

a mountain

of

Kleenex tissue boxes

and 

firelighters(?)

at

Monkton House

(Nearing the end....)

Edward James

1907-1984

Recommended reading:

"Swans Reflecting Elephants, 

My Early Years"

and

"A Surreal Life

Edward James"