 |
* So, is there treasure to be found in the hand written signature and drawing of Salvador Dali to Hans Giger waiting to be discovered in the book Necronomicon?
The Swiss artist H. R. Giger [Hans Rudolf "Ruedi Giger"] was launched into fame in 1977 following the publication of two volumes of his incredible drawings and paintings which he titled Necronomicon. (The book was published by Big O Publishing)
These editions are very large format soft cover books containing the some of the best of H R Giger's rather macabre but hugely imaginative 'biomechanoid' designs. These fantastic and innovative illustrations immediately drew Giger to the attention of the producers of the film 'Alien' (1979) and in particular its Director Ridley Scott. It is by Giger's work on this blockbusting film that he is most well known and his career spiralled. Dozens and dozens of you have happened upon old copies of the Necronomicon books since, discovering them at small country auctions, house clearance or estate sales, junk shops or in the back of dark dingy book shops. Some signed Necronomiconc books may even be found at garage sales and the one common denominator seems to be that you have all been stunned when you opened the front cover and saw what met your eyes! There, staring you in the face is a hand signed dedication to Hans Giger and an original drawing of the Spanish Knight by Salvador Dali himself. And this is what all the fuss is about |
|
 |
||
Believing it to be a real felt tip pen drawing by Dali and absolutely authentic it seems to be a prize that you have stumbled upon a Giger likely to be worth a fortune. The dedication to Giger by Dali is an impressive and almost mind boggling windfall which makes you see the dollar signs light up and spin and builds the excitement that generates a pulse rate to an unbelievable height. It's known as the Giger Counter! Surely you couldn't be so lucky? Things like this could never happen to you, you never win anything!
Well no, you're absolutely right, it couldn't and you haven't this time either!.
When these 'hand signed Giger books' with a dedication and illustration by Dali to Giger are talked about over dinner or in hushed tones of secrecy never to be repeated, they have by now inevitably and miraculously gained a great story of how it was originally acquired attached to them.
They take various guises but usually start something like; It's been in the family for years. Inevitably the stories evolve around someone close to, or working for Giger. Such as somebodies Grandmother worked for Giger in the seventies as his housekeeper and Giger gave it to her personally when she retired... Or an old girlfriend of Giger who was modelling for him, was given it as a memento by Giger! She actually witnessed Dali signing the book for Giger and even heard Dali tell Giger, "Let's make the work more valuable for you!" Or there's some other equally believable but fabricated over embellished line designed to convince the daylights out of all who hear it. Particularly with those signed Giger Necronomicon volumes which are sold on Ebay! Well the truth is a little simpler and more basic than that I am afraid.
Salvador Dali did indeed sign and dedicate the frontispiece of H R Giger's Necronomicon with the words; "Pour Giger. Hommage. Dali" but the story itself is a little less romantic or fantastic than those being bandied around the world at the moment. The whole story about the inception and creation of the Dali dedication to Giger is told in the book Necronomicon 2, on or around pages 36 - 37.
To summarise; Hans Giger visited Salvador Dali in his studio in Europe and Giger simply asked Dali to write the foreword for his Necronomicon 1 book. Dali did better than that by crafting the famous little drawing and inscription that you see illustrated above. Sadly, for those of you who have convinced yourselves you have a huge lottery win, I am afraid to have to tell you that the illustration appears in every American first edition of Necronomicon and in the Giger Museums new edition of it too.
IT'S A PRINT
The original signed book is housed in the H R Giger museum at the Château St. Germain in Gruyères Switzerland.
If you have found the book in an old junk shop or been able to buy it cheap somewhere there is one consolation for you. They retail for around US $85.00 so you haven't done too bad.
|
||
