The Vogels: How a Couple of Modest Means Built a World-Class Art Collection

Herbert (Aug. 16, 1922 – July 22, 2012) and Dorothy (1935 — ) Vogel, who worked as civil servants for more than 50 years, managed to amass an enormously important post-1960 art collection numbering thousands of pieces. They never sold any of the collection even though it had appreciated greatly and was worth millions of dollars. Instead, they donated a large number of works to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Theirs is a touching story of a couple devoted to one another and to their shared love of art.
 
Quote: “While their coworkers had no idea, the press noticed. The New York Times labeled the Vogels the ‘In Couple’ of New York City. They counted minimalist masters Richard Tuttle and Donald Judd among their close friends. And in just four decades, they assembled one of the most important private art collections of the 20th century, stocking their tiny apartment floor-to-ceiling with Chuck Close sketches, paintings by Roy Lichtenstein, and sculptures by Andy Goldsworthy.” — “How a Working-Class Couple Amassed a Priceless Art Collection” by Jed Lipinski
 
Sources: Wikipedia, mentalfloss.com
 
Learn more about Herb and Dorothy Vogel on Wikipedia. >>
 
Watch “The Vogels — A Look at their Art Collection (1995)” on 60 Minutes [11:40]. >>
 
Photo: KPBS