Two lives, a modern tale of brotherly love, hoarding, urban living, and the march of time can easily be boiled down to an admonishment: “You’re as dirty as the Collyer brothers.”
Without the wider context of these fascinating individuals, this little saying employed by older New Yorkers holds no meaning. But even if you are aware of the story, it borders on the tragic to reduce the facts to a simple throwaway line about scruffiness.[4]
We don’t have enough space to fully discuss the compelling tale of Homer and Langley Collyer, but the video above will give you the full context. Nevertheless, a brief overview should explain the quote that started this entry.
For a long while, Homer and Langley Collyer were functioning members of society. Homer was a lawyer, while Langley sold and repaired pianos. When their parents passed away, the brothers slowly retreated from society and became shut-ins.
Over the years, they amassed a huge amount of stuff. From piles of newspapers dating back decades to pianos and other bulky pieces of dark wood furniture, their Harlem brownstone became a junk-laden tomb that hid their corpses when they died. Check out the full history of these New York legends to get a clearer image of who they were and the society they shied away from—they were more than a simple mothers’ saying.
