New York Behind Closed Doors

369 Pages·2017·96.99 MB·English

by  Polly Devlin

NEW YORK
Behind Closed Doors
By Polly Devlin
Photographer Annie Schlechter
New York
Behind Closed Doors
Digital Edition 1.0
Text © 2017 by Polly Devlin
Photography copyright by Annie Schlechter
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written
permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.
Gibbs Smith
P.O. Box 667
Layton, Utah 84041
Orders: 1.800.835.4993
www.gibbs-smith.com
ISBN: 978-1-4236-4732-4
Acknowledgments
I am grateful for the constant support of the people who helped me with this
book. There are many voices beneath the surface. The person to whom I owe the
most is Annie Schlechter, whose unfailing enthusiasm in the face of my choice
and unchoice of places never wavered; and for the unerring instinct that led her
to photograph the things and scenes within those rooms that I particularly
admired. We were in constant collaboration, often without consultation, and our
ideas about images and layout hardly varied. Her detailed attention to design and
layout has made the book what it is.
I owe my patient publisher Jo Christian a debt of thanks for suggesting the
subject of the book, for her support and patience with my untimely haverings
and for bringing it into being.
I am deeply grateful to my research assistants,
I am deeply grateful to my research assistants,
Judith Churchill who gave me tremendous help with calm efficiency, and
Jacqueline Wasilczyk, who in spite of a full-time job, zoomed all over New
York to checks facts and descriptions. I would like to thank Gail Lynch and
designer Becky Clarke for their sustained and invaluable interest.
I am grateful to Eve MacSweeney, Features Director, and Hamish Bowles,
European Editor-at-Large, both at American Vogue; Mitchell Owens at
Architectural Digest, and Allegra McEvedy and Scott Lauer for their helpful
suggestions.
I thank Ben Brantley for his illuminative contribution; Chris Cahill, the
Executive Director at the American Irish Historical Society (in its fine building);
Paula Cianci, Awards and Events Officer, Cultural Services of the French
Embassy who was considerate beyond duty. Edward C. (Ted) Goodman at the
Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University helped this
complete rookie to find her way around his wonderful library.
On a more practical but equally invaluable level I owe more than I can say to
Judith Churchill for her hospitality while I was in New York and to Serena Bass,
Susanna Moore and Susan Forristal, who were generous and companionable
throughout my endeavors there. I owe Alex and Alannah Cochrane thanks for
the use of their wonderful boathouse, where some of this book was written.
In London I am grateful to Hannah Encke, Redha Debbah, Fiona Golfar and to
the inspirational Carmen Callil, who from the conception of the book was
unyielding in her opposition to the whole project and thus gave me the
determination to carry on.
Most of all I would like to say thank you to all the owners of these places I have
written home about. They were unfailingly kind, companionable and hospitable
and apparently unfazed by my endless inquisitions. I hope I have done their
places justice.

New York
Table of Contents
The Bowerbirds
Incandescation
A Garden In Brooklyn
A Substantial World