Seven Dumpsters and a Corpse...

A Film by Thomas Haemmerli, 2007

After their mother’s death, two Swiss brothers, upon entering her apartment, found out  she had become a hoarder. They documented the process of excavating a lifetime of stuff after a family member dies:

"Amidst the chaos of their dead mother’s apartment, two brothers irreverently piece together their family history. It’s a strange but unique saga involving baronesses and counts; stolen lovers and Nazi officers; lawsuits and counter lawsuits and lots and lots of cats. Compelling and darkly hilarious.”

Full documentary here, Seven Dumpsters and a Corpse

This one is dedicated to El Sloganero and my brother.

Odd Person of Note: The Edies!

The famous Big Edie and Little Edie Beale were wealthy society girls turned delusional hermits. Cousins of Jackie O, all the family girls always married prominent and wealthy. After Big Edie’s divorce, the mother and daughter lived exclusively in their East Hampton estate, Grey Gardens. The two of them, with very little money, didn’t leave and allowed the mansion to deteriorate to a crumbling, hoarders den with 300 cats and raccoons in the attic. When the Health Dept. threatened to tear it down, Jackie and her sister bailed them out and repaired the home.

The classic documentary Grey Gardens (1975, Albert and David Maysles) is the delicious voyeur’s peep into the bizarre world of the Beales. Although it had only been a few years since the refurbishment, the movie shows Grey Gardens is well on its way back to its former state. 

Apparently they are making a movie for 2008 about Grey Gardens, Drew Barrymore stars as Little Edie.

"My mother doesn't believe in kitty litter.  She prefers boxes and paper.  And she's the cat lover.  So you can imagine how I suffer." - Little Edie

"Jackie was twelve years younger than I, and although I was never jealous of her, I never liked her.  You know what Jackie wanted?  She wanted the house.  Yes darling, that's the truth, and she did everything she could to get it.  Then Jackie sent her sister Lee, who I've always been absolutely terrified of- I think she's a big criminal.  Lee and her boyfriend came around and started to tear the house down with axes.  Don't go near any of these people for God's sake, they're all insane!" - Little Edie

"Of course the house isn't perfectly normal.  The house has to be done over.  You know how hard it is to get plumbers in the autumn." - Little Edie

You think it would look sexier with the bra underneath? I think it would. - Little Edie

Grey Gardens Trivia

Odd Person of Note: The Collyer Brothers

I read a book a while ago called 'Ghosty Men: The Strange but True Story of the Collyer Brothers, New York's Greatest Hoarders: An Urban Historical', a very descriptive title indeed. These very wealthy brothers lived in a townhouse in Harlem (5th and 128th). They seemed to share a hoarding problem, packing the entire house from floor to ceiling, fortified with booby traps. Becoming recluses, the house eventually led to their unfortunate and rather grisly demise. This left the enormous problem of the packed house on the hands of the city. The excavation turned up a massive list of things ranging from a Model T Ford to decades of newspapers and drew quite a crowd.

A couple years after I read this book I had the pleasure/horror of visiting a property being cleared of a life time of hoarding. It brought home how sad this behavior is.  Fascinating nonetheless. Some of my pictures below.