Herb & Dorothy (2008)

This documentary about Herb Vogel, a postal worker, and his wife Dorothy, a librarian, who began collecting art as a young married couple living in a rent-controlled apartment. Their collection reflects their love of art and artists and the trends of the 1960s and 1970s and through the end of the twentieth century. We see the New York art world through their stories and interviews with many of the artists and gallery owners. Much of the film is shot inside their cramped apartment, bursting with art that is stacked and stashed in every corner, leaving the couple just a small table and a couple chairs. The Vogels could have retired as very wealthy people had they wanted to trade the work for money, but getting rich was never their intention. Instead, they donated the entire collection to The National Gallery in Washington DC to be archived and distributed to art institutions across the country. This film is entirely fascinating