Robert Frank and June Leaf's New York Studio Hits the Market

"This three-bed, six-bath abode boasts New York history predating even that impressive art-historical pedigree. It's one of the oldest homes on bustling Bleecker Street, potentially constructed-but definitely formerly owned-by the renowned tobacconist and thoroughbred racehorse owner George Lorillard (who, fun fact, was also the step-great-uncle of bombastic late American photographer Peter Beard)."

"Frank entered the picture in the early 1970s, more than a decade after releasing and pivoting away from his zeitgeist-altering photobook, The Americans (1958). That's when he and Leaf started renting a single floor within the building. reports that they bought the place in 1982."

"When Frank and Leaf first arrived, 7 Bleecker Street was still purportedly a "functioning flophouse" full of vagrants. As they took over the space, the artists earned a reputation for maintaining that atmosphere, letting the interior decay naturally, sometimes even painting freely on the floor."

The 209-year-old Federal-style townhouse at 7 Bleecker Street in New York's NoHo East Historic District has entered the market for $6.5 million. The property, one of the oldest homes on Bleecker Street, was formerly owned by tobacconist George Lorillard and later became the longtime residence of legendary photographer Robert Frank and sculptor June Leaf. Frank and Leaf rented a single floor beginning in the early 1970s before purchasing the property in 1982. They maintained the space as a raw artist studio, allowing the interior to decay naturally while creating freely. The couple spent summers in Nova Scotia and the remainder of the year in New York, despite distractions from visitors and fans. Frank died in 2019 and Leaf in 2024.

Read at Artnet News