Moving house is no mean feat when you live in a home of this size.
A fascinating documentary called Jay Myself sheds light on famed American photographer Jay Maisel, now 92, and the extraordinary work that went on behind the scenes when he left his iconic home in New York City with his wife, Linda, in 2015.
The artist’s home of 48 years – which was located at 190 Bowery and was sold to private developers for $55 million – spanned 36,000sqft and featured 72 rooms over six stories, with some boasting 18ft high ceilings.
But as Jay Myself shows, the spaces were stacked with a menagerie of curiosities which Maisel had collected over the years – from a room packed with table legs to another featuring drawers full of artfully arranged batteries.
Given the extent of his collection, the move took a total of three months with his staff and family members working around the clock.
A fascinating documentary called Jay Myself sheds light on famed American photographer Jay Maisel, now 92, and the extraordinary work that went on behind the scenes when he left his iconic home (the corner building above) in New York City
The artist’s home of 48 years – which was located at 190 Bowery and was sold to private developers for $55 million – spanned 36,000sq ft and featured 72 rooms over six stories with some boasting 18ft high ceilings
But as Jay Myself shows, the spaces were stacked with a menagerie of curiosities which Maisel had collected over the years, from a room packed with table legs to another featuring drawers full of artfully arranged batteries
Given the extent of his collection, the move took a total of three months with staff working around the clock
In one scene, Maisel explains to viewers that there was a time that he was concerned he was developing Alzheimer’s as he couldn’t remember where certain things were located in his rambling home.
In response, one of his doctors asked how many drawers he had.
When he couldn’t recall the exact amount, he went home and counted all of the drawers he had installed to store his knickknacks and the total came to 4,800.
It was then he realized it was quite normal not being able to recount where something was with so many possibilities.
Rewinding to the start, Maisel said he came across the towering building when he was looking to move out of a place he had on 2nd Avenue in downtown Manhattan.
He said his previous home was somewhat of a fire hazard as it was built out of wood and he always feared it might burn down while he was away.
When he first viewed 190 Bowery, he feared he wouldn’t be able to afford it with a price tag of $102,000, but the real estate agent convinced him it would be the right move.
The down payment on the building was $25,000 and coincidentally Maisel had just landed a photography assignment which paid exactly that amount and he moved in on March 17, 1966.
The New Yorker went on to turn the building into a home, gallery and storage space, and it was where his daughter, Amanda, was raised.
Maisel’s wife Linda reveals in the film that she was worried at first about bringing a child into such a chaotic environment with razors and other objects casually laying around, but 190 Bowery appeared to serve more of an adventure playground for children and adults alike.
Maisel said he came across the towering building when he was looking to move out of a place he had on 2nd Avenue in downtown Manhattan
When he first viewed 190 Bowery, he feared he wouldn’t be able to afford it with a price tag of $102,000, but the real estate agent convinced him it would be the right move
The down payment on the building was $25,000 and coincidentally Maisel had just landed a photography assignment which paid exactly that amount and he moved in on March 17, 1966
The New Yorker went on to turn the building into a home, gallery and storage space, and it was where daughter Amanda was raised
Stephen Wilkes, who directed Jay Myself after serving as one of his protegees, explains when he first walked through the door of 190 Bowery it ‘overwhelmed’ his senses.
Maisel’s other admirers also express their amazement over the space he had, remembering everything from playing basketball in one of the main spaces and attending his wedding there.
Vintage photos showcased in the documentary show Maisel at home at 190 Bowery, with the spaces looking much the same, just with less clutter.
Before being converted into a livable space, 190 Bowery – which was built in 1898 – served as the third home of the now-defunct Germania Bank and it still has many throwbacks to its banking days.
The original vault, said to be the size of studio apartment, is still in the basement, the original copper cage elevator is still intact, and it is still possible to make out where the bank teller stations were positioned on the main floor.
Explaining what lured him to the building, Maisel says: ‘I wanted a place that I would have roots and this was this building.
‘The unfortunate thing is that I collected like I was going to live here forever and I have stuff that I should never have saved and now I gotta leave it… I had always planned to die here.’
In Jay Myself, the calendar counts down as Maisel’s moving day draws closer.
Reminiscing about his long-term property, the photographer muses at one point: ‘I’ve been so spoiled, I’ve had this place almost 50 years. I’ve always had enough room to do anything I’ve wanted to do.’
Vintage photos showcased in the documentary show Maisel at home at 190 Bowery, with the spaces looking much the same, just with less clutter. Pictured Maisel in 1966
Explaining what lured him to the building, Maisel said: ‘I wanted a place that I would have roots and this was this building’
The photographer sits back and relaxes in one of the main spaces, where he also had a basketball hoop
Maisel pictured with his protegee and film director Stephen Wilkes at 190 Bowery in 1979
Finally, after 35 trucks carted away his possessions, Maisel exited the building and handed over the keys
Looking back at his love affair with one of Manhattan’s most mysterious properties, Maisel concludes: ‘If I had to do it all over again, I would have bought two buildings instead of one’
Since Maisel’s departure, 190 Bowery has been converted into offices and a retail space
It takes Maisel’s movers an entire week just to empty the vault, with drawers lining the walls from floor to ceiling.
They then go about packing up the rest of the building floor by floor under Maisel’s direction.
Maisel’s daughter Amanda, who comes back towards the end of the move, says that she thinks it is ‘exciting for him in some ways… like a new adventure.’
However, she adds: ‘I also think he cannot deal with the fact that he might not get around to all the things that he wants to do with all the stuff that he’s collected over the years.’
Meanwhile, wife Linda says she is feeling ‘overwhelmed’ and she is ‘trying to figure out how I can con Jay into leaving certain things.’
Finally, after 35 trucks have carted away his possessions, Maisel exits the building and hands over the keys.
He and his wife moved into a 10,000sqft former carriage house in Brooklyn and the vast bulk of the belongings from 190 Bowery were moved to an industrial storage facility.
Looking back at his love affair with one of Manhattan’s most mysterious properties, Maisel concludes: ‘If I had to do it all over again, I would have bought two buildings instead of one.’
Since Maisel’s departure, 190 Bowery has been converted into offices and a retail space.
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