Edwin L. Gilcher Papers

Edwin Lysle Gilcher was born to Frederick Charles (1874-) and Nellie Marion (Horton) Gilcher (1882-1930) in Republic, Ohio on August 9, 1909. He left home, went to New York City, and enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1927 at the age of 18. He later completed additional courses at City College of the City University of New York, the New School for Social Research, Albany Law School, and St. Lawrence University.

After graduating from the Academy in 1929, Gilcher began his career in the theatre. His first job was as a summer stock actor on Long Island, after which he joined the Garrick Gaieties (produced by the Theatre Guild) as an assistant stage manager and actor. He later appeared in Elmer Rice's Counselor-at-Law, which toured numerous cities on the east coast, and operated Tony Sarg's marionettes when the company produced plays. Gilcher also had small parts on the Maxwell House Show Boat radio program. Between theatrical engagements, he worked as a tester in a glue factory, a production manager in a costume jewelry shop, an assistant steward at New York City's Barbizon Plaza Hotel, a farmer, a teacher, and a proofreader.

In 1943, Gilcher and a friend, Syd Heckler, were inspired to become farmers after reading 20 Acres and Independence. They found their farm in Cherry Plain, New York and named the 100 acres of land Folly Farm. Despite their best efforts, Folly Farm was not successful as an agricultural enterprise. Gilcher continued to commute to New York City to work in the entertainment business, operating puppets for NBC and touring with Frank Paris' John Beggs and his Ballet Miniatures. This show featured four young ballet dancers and Gilcher, who appeared as a jester and introduced each story performed.

Gilcher left the theatre in the early 1950s and settled in Cherry Plain. In 1951, he was elected Berlin, New York's Town Justice, a position he held for the next 25 years. He married Elizabeth Marie (Carr) Cipperly, a widow with two children, Ellen (Cipperly) Neaton and Stephen L. Cipperly, on June 21, 1957. Gilcher became the wire editor of the Bennington Banner in 1965 and continued in this position until 1974, when he accepted a position as proofreading coordinator for the Hemmings Motor News (also based in Bennington). He was later named the company's Historian Emeritus and retired fully from journalism in 1999.

Gilcher was first exposed to the work of Modernist Irish author George Moore as a high school student in Ohio and quickly developed a consuming interest in his work. Moore was a leading proponent of Naturalism in English and Irish literature and contributed significantly to both the Irish Literary Renaissance and the development of the Irish National Theatre. Many of his works provoked controversy due to their frank portrayals of gender relations, adultery, prostitution, and homosexuality. Gilcher began researching Moore and the differences between various editions of Moore's work in the 1930s and devoted himself to his avocation after settling in Cherry Plain. He eventually compiled the most complete collection of Moore's work ever assembled. After over 30 years of research, Gilcher published his well-regarded A Bibliography of George Moore in 1970. An update to this work, A Supplement to a Bibliography of George Moore, appeared in 1988. Although he never completed a college degree, Gilcher was widely recognized as one of the foremost Moore scholars in the field.

In 1974, Gilcher sold his collection of Moore works to Arizona State University at the urging of fellow scholar Helmut Hal Gerber. The sale left Gilcher and his wife with time to travel. The couple visited Ireland, where they attended the George Moore Extravaganza and toured numerous sites associated with Moore, including the ruins of his family home (Moore Hall) and his grave on Castle Island in Lough Carra. Edwin Gilcher died in Bennington, Vermont on December 10, 2002.