THE WITCH’S DOOR: ODDITIES & TALES FROM THE ESOTERIC TO THE EXTREME

A taxidermied monkey named Mr. Peepers. A rare collection of anatomical wax figures for sale in Munich. A Tibetan Kapala skull decorated with bits of coral. Two Charlie McCarthy dolls that may (or may not) be haunted. The incredible memento mori collection of Richard Harris. An actual witch’s door. That’s all just for starters. 

Welcome to a world of oddities curated by Regina and Ryan Cohn, trendsetters and tastemakers who have reinvented what the artifact collectors market looks like. Together, they are the founders of Oddities Flea Market, artfully curating a selection of the best artists and collectors at several events across the U.S. throughout the year, with an eye towards expanding globally. In The Witch’s Door, Ryan, who starred in the reality television show Oddities, and Regina, who comes from the world of fashion, give us a rare peek behind the curtain into the business of collecting the strange and unusual and the cast of eccentric characters they meet along the way.

Packed with jaw-dropping photographs and unbelievable-but-true stories, The Witch’s Door is a rare combination of visual and narrative entertainment. In these pages, Ryan and Regina take readers all over the world, from Brooklyn to Bavaria, giving them the inside scoop on how they purchase artifacts to sell and those they want to keep. Perfect for fans of Oddities, Atlas Obscura, and Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, this collectible book makes a delightfully lurid gift or self-purchase for those happily inclined toward the dark side.

Cover by Nicolas Bruno.

Photography by David Zeck.

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A pair of glided eighteenth-century putti statues made of wood and polychrome with grotesque faces on their belles.

A pair of glided eighteenth-century putti statues made of wood and polychrome with grotesque faces on their belles.

An example of what can go terribly wrong with a piece of taxidermy, Mr. Peepers in his final stages of life.

An example of what can go terribly wrong with a piece of taxidermy, Mr. Peepers in his final stages of life.

An example of what can go terribly wrong with a piece of taxidermy, Mr. Peepers in his final stages of life.

An example of what can go terribly wrong with a piece of taxidermy, Mr. Peepers in his final stages of life.

Full scale anatomical wax “Venus” by Gustav Zieller that now resides at Quttainah Medical Museum in Kuwait. This 19th century moulage was originally housed at Castans Panopticon until the museum was closed in 1922.

Models such as these gave anatomists and people in the medical field better insight into the inner workings of the human body. Cadavers were scarce during the 19th century, so anatomists and artists worked together to create lasting models that could be used by future generations to learn from.

Various European reliquary hands that once held the relics of deceased saints.

Various European reliquary hands that once held the relics of deceased saints.

Animatronic life-size head, used as part of the special effects for the miniseries Rose Red by Stephen King.

Animatronic life-size head, used as part of the special effects for the miniseries Rose Red by Stephen King.

Oversized anatomical wax écorché bust by anatomist and artist Gustav Zeiller from the mid-nineteenth century. This wax moulage was once used to each medical students in an anatomical theater. The model was made on a larger scale to enable students se

Oversized anatomical wax écorché bust by anatomist and artist Gustav Zeiller from the mid-nineteenth century. This wax moulage was once used to each medical students in an anatomical theater. The model was made on a larger scale to enable students seated farther away to properly see the preparation.

PRAISES

  • Portrait of Jill Kargman in her white gown.

    Jill Kargman

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

    “OBSESSED with this peek behind the black velvet curtain of how Ryan and Regina built their uniquely jaw-dropping collection of gothic, chic, mind-blowing oddities. I felt like I was there with them as they traveled the world to meet with passionate art dealers, crazed collectors, and eccentrically badass weirdos. This is must-read for anyone interested in curios and strange, alluring objects. The Witch’s Door is a macabre portal that reminds us that if we live among death, we live life the fullest even more.”

  • A head of Lidnsey Fitzhaus witha blurred skeleton spine in the background.

    Lindsey Fitzhaus

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE BUTCHERING ART AND THE FACEMARKER

    “This is a delightfully eccentric tour of the authors’ offbeat world of collecting. It’s a powerful reminder of the enthralling stories that objects have to tell us about ourselves, and of the adventures they can engender in seeking them out.”

  • A portrait of Paul Koudinaris holding a skull in his hands.

    Paul Koudinaris

    AUTHOR OF THE EMPIRE OF DEATH AND HEAVENLY BODIES

    “America’s first family of the macabre presents not just the stories of arcane objects, but of the people who created them, nurtured them, and loved them. We meet not just Ryan and Regina, but Nick the police sergeant, the mysterious Max Wax, creepy Carla Coffin, and a whole cast of others who have squirreled away priceless objects. The Witch’s Door is as much a character study as is it is a book about oddities—and that is what makes it essential reading.”

  • A head shot of Steve Burns in a thinking pose, with an index finger to his chin and his eyes looking up.

    Steve Burns

    ACTOR

    “Ryan and Regina painstakingly curate the absolute weirdest, coolest, most unconventionally beautiful things a brain could imagine. You will love this compilation of weird, wonderful ephemera as it is an odd window into two of my favorite souls.”

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