Mar 6, 2025
Altered book cover by Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell. In the 60s they stole over 70 books from Islington Library, customised them (animal faces, rude words, nudity etc) and then replaced them. When caught they both got 6 months in prison.
Joe Orton's defaced library books and the death of rebellious art:
Jonathan Jones: Framing the debate: The 1960s collages that sent two young writers to prison remind us that in today's Britain, no real diss
The death of Joe Orton - archive, August 1967:
How the Guardian reported the death of Joe Orton, 50 years ago, from his funeral to the legal problems with his will
"On 9 August 1967, the playwright Joe Orton was murdered by his lover, Kenneth Halliwell, in their Islington flat..."
