Boing Boing

Boing Boing

Two brothers filled a Harlem brownstone with 140 tons of stuff

The Collyer brothers died in their own hoard. Langley was crushed by a booby trap he built himself.

Ellsworth Toohey
Aug 01, 2026
∙ Paid
Collyer brothers — Jim.henderson / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Collyer brothers — Jim.henderson / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)

When police reached the Harlem brownstone at 2078 Fifth Avenue in March 1947, the doors were wired shut and the foyer was packed solid with old newspapers, folding beds, half a sewing machine, boxes, and parts of a wine press. A patrolman finally broke in through a second-story window and dug for…

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Boing Boing.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Happy Mutants LLC · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture