In 2011, the famous Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan, shut its doors and is currently undergoing a major overhaul that will bring the building up to modern-day standards. But prior to demolition, photographer Victoria Cohen was allowed inside the empty building to capture the original interiors.
Hotel Chelsea was made notorious after it became the home of legendary writers and musicians including Bob Dylan, Charles Bukowski, Janis Joplin, Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, and more. It was also where Dylan Thomas was staying when he died of pneumonia in 1953 and where Nancy Spungen, girlfriend of Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols, was found stabbed to death in 1978.
Cohen’s photographs of the hallways, lobbies, and rooms set out to show the bohemian aesthetic of the original property and pay homage to a New York landmark through an artistic lens. The photographs have been compiled in a book, distributed by Pointed Leaf Press.
As hotel design fans, we love the fact that Cohen was able to capture the spirit of the original interiors before the property reveals its renovations. Head over to Cohen’s website to see more photographs from the project. The pictures are also on display through Oct. 25 at the Third Steaming Gallery in New York.
Photo Credit: Victoria Cohen
