DARK NOSTALGIA
Welcome to the home of Ron and Gayle Eady at the intersection of dark and light
Step into the world of illusion and mystery.
Pause at the fortune teller, see the curling lip on the ventriloquist dummy, and don’t forget to pick up a glass eyeball.
Welcome to the home of Ron and Gayle Eady at the intersection of dark and light.
“Some people get it and some people don’t,” Ron says of the boxy commercial building in the Stinson neighbourhood the couple bought 10 years ago.
They left behind a lovely old farmhouse in Burlington to move downtown. Now, close to the CP main line, “We have a great view of the Christmas train,” near parks and the es-
allowed Ron to quit his job at outdoor advertising company Eclipse Imaging of Burlington, to concentrate full-time on art. His paintings, based on industrial images, were taking off.
The building they bought, once a cold storage space for beer, was a blank slate to showcase his art, and their antiques.
They’ve been collecting for 40 years. In the past 15 years the focus has been on ventriloquist dummies. The marvellous and macabre faces appear to follow you through the house. They come from England, France and the U.S., dating to the 1800s, beautifully crafted and haunting.
“I like them because they’re pieces of art, hand carved, and hand painted,” Ron says.
A display of medical mannequins occupies a special place in the house. Dentists and eye doctors needed to practise their skills, and mannequins complied.
“To go to the trouble to make these so beautifully; some have gears so the head can be tilted, the craftsmanship is wonderful,” says Gayle.
Beyond the mannequin display is Ron’s office, where a tiger from an original circus wagon looks over the room and more medical curiosities are arranged on the artist’s desk. carpment where they are happily embedded in the gritty creativity of Hamilton.
“We made the move at the right time,” Gayle says.
House prices were high in Burlington 10 years ago and low in Hamilton. Selling their house