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The Germania Bank construction in New York City is a piece of an closed book . ramp up in 1898 , the six - story Renaissance Revival social organization is now comfortably known as the boarded up , graffiti - covered building simply called190 Bowery . near 50 year ago , photographerJay Maisel(who is known for his shots of Marilyn Monroe , Miles Davis , and his chronicling of New York street life)bought the intact construction for $ 102,000 — a bargain , to say the least , especially for 38,000 square feet of prime SoHo literal landed estate .
It was n’t that way when he purchased the prop , though . When Maisel make a motion in in 1966 , the neighborhood was sleazy and derelict , and the building was a disaster . “ Every undivided matter that can hail out of a human body has been get out on my threshold , ” MaiseltoldNew York Magazinein 2008 . “ It was more disgusting than grave . ”
Maisel began makingsome ad - hoc renovationsto the 72 room and maintained the property as his private home and studio apartment . He shortly rent out floors as studio to artist like Roy Lichtenstein and Adolph Gottlieb in the late ‘ 60s , and allowed the exterior to become a studio apartment of form to some other more enterprising artist . The façade of 190 has been hollo amecca of street art , and even Keith Haring used to draw his famous “ shabu baby ” on the out-of-door bulwark . “ Ineverwashed off any of Keith ’s stuff,”Maisel said once . “ Keith was the only person who did graffito in deoxyephedrine . ”
Maiselquietly put 190 Bowery on the marketlast year , and it sold immediately for$55 million . The outside wasstripped of its famous graffitiand the massive belongings , which was bring up aNew York City landmarkin 2005 , willlikely be turned into condos . But , as a one - night - only event , the building will beopen to the publicfor an prowess show this Saturday featuring painters like Julian Schnabel and Harmony Korine . You’llneed an RSVP , but this will likely be theonly chance to see insidethis mysterious literal estate before it is completely reforge .
