{"product_id":"gallowmen-and-mandrakes-troy-books-melbourne-australia","title":"Gallowmen and Mandrakes by Wilmar Taal","description":"\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eAuthor: Wilmar Taal\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are delighted to present our latest title from Wilmar Taal,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eGallowmen and Mandrakes –\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Occult life of Bob Laurentius Richel.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eWith this book, Wilmar continues his in-depth research into the origins of the Richel-Eldermans collection housed in the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle, Cornwall. The first book,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Silent Listener\u003c\/em\u003e, examined the life of JHW Eldermans, seeking insight as to why he produced such a large and fascinating collection of occult objects and art. This is followed by the endlessly fascinating and very popular study of Eldermans’\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Gnome Manuscript\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eGallowmen and Mandrakes\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eexplores the life and art of Bob Laurentius Richel, the son in-law of JHW Eldermans and an equally enigmatic contributor to this unique collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA few words from Wilmar:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the first floor of the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle, the Richel-collection stands out through its quality and volume. The former steward of this collection was Amsterdam-based collector and presumed occultist Bob Richel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough the collection consisted mostly of works and objects fashioned by his father-in-law J.H.W. Eldermans, Bob was quite an accomplished artist himself. He was skilled in wood working, casting metals but most of all he was a splendid draughtsman. Contrary to his father-in-law, Bob was an artist, he played with layers of meaning, his drawings flowing from his subconscious by starting with a single dot on paper, watching the depiction grow as he proceeds. His works deal with his perpetual fear of a nuclear war, his trauma from World War II, his fascination with the Devil, the dark sides of Roman-Catholicism and of course themes from the occult.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the world in which Bob raises his children, makes his art in the early hours and late at night, producing drawings that even have a story to tell in the twenty-first century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilmar Taal MA (1969) is a Dutch cultural historian with an expertise on history, folklore and the occult. He authored several books like\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Silent Listener. The Life and Works of J.H.W. Eldermans\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Gnome Manuscript part one: Origins, habit and culture\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Gnome Manuscript part two: The Gnome Grimoire. Magical workings with Nature Spirits.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eHe lives with his wife in Koog aan de Zaan, The Netherlands, but wouldn’t mind moving to Cornwall one day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Elfhame","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42039754489950,"sku":null,"price":42.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1253\/4243\/files\/Galloweres_and_Mandrakes.jpg?v=1758164962","url":"https:\/\/elfhame.com.au\/products\/gallowmen-and-mandrakes-troy-books-melbourne-australia","provider":"Elfhame","version":"1.0","type":"link"}