Musicians Jon Bon Jovi and Rufus Wainwright both stayed in Room #617 (at separate times) during their many visits to the Hotel Chelsea.

Bon Jovi shot the video for his song "Midnight in Chelsea" primarily at the hotel.

Door measures approximately 77 x 31 1/2''. The door was whitewashed during the renovations of the hotel that began in the mid-2000s. The black marks spray painted on the door were also done by the construction crews, and serve as indications as to what to do with the doors (for instance, the 'x' meant a door was slated for removal, as all of the doors involved in this auction eventually were).

This door has been consigned by Mr. Jim Georgiou, an accomplished man who had been a previous tenant at the Chelsea (along with his dog, Teddy). Unfortunately, Jim ended up having to leave his beloved home at the hotel, winding up on the street. During this time, he would occasionally return to the Chelsea, to use the restrooms. This was during the beginnings of the renovations on the building. It was as a result of one of these forays into the Chelsea that Jim recovered the doors. Mr. Georgiou recognized the doors' importance as symbols of the accomplished and controversial figures that lived in the hotel when it was a bohemian haven.

Jim Georgiou is now no longer without a home, but certainly remembers his time on the streets. Per his request, a portion of the proceeds from the auction of the doors will go to City Harvest, the non-profit organization that pioneered food rescue in 1982. This year, City Harvest will rescue 59 million pounds of nutritious food and deliver it to 500 community food programs across New York City, helping to feed the nearly 1.3 million New Yorkers facing hunger.

This item is being sold without reserve.

Although the attributions of the Doors of the Chelsea to their associated icons have been made based on extensive research of material written on the figures of the Chelsea, as well as interviews with previous residents and employees of the Hotel, and many of these attributions are borne out by various sources, no definite attribution is possible. As such, each door is purchased "as is" and neither Guernsey's nor the consigner is able to provide any warranty or representation confirming the provenance of any door. See Section 1 of the terms and conditions of sale. No statement by anyone or in the catalogue, in any advertisement, or which is made at the sale, in the bill of sale or invoice, or elsewhere, shall be deemed a representation or guarantee of attribution or an assumption of liability.

Statement from consigner Jim Georgiou:

The journey of these iconic Chelsea Doors began with my arrival at the hotel on September 9th, 2002. For the next decade, while I lived in the building, not only was I witness to the magic of these hallowed halls, but was able to share thoughts, feelings, and anecdotes - a living history of the building - with my neighbors. These people were instrumental in unveiling the rich legacy behind these doors, allowing me to proceed with inspiration towards gaining a clearer and more elaborate story of the 'dream palace.'

Once I left the hotel, and had access to years of old-timers sharing their memories within its walls, this became the basis for how to proceed with what turned out to be exhaustive research. The angles and tributaries to this research are multi-dimensional, and in light of continuing valuable revelations could be on-going. However there is a timeline and we have come to the end of it. What I am disclosing here is a definitive list which includes some of the most important people of the 20th century. In some cases, I did not have strong enough information to make a solid attribute to a specific door. In other cases, there were numerous potential attributions based on the transient nature of hotel living, but only few could be captured definitively like moments frozen in time.

That said, this amazing roster makes it crystal clear that every one of these doors is a precious artifact of an epoch never to be witnessed again. The magic, the fantasy...the impossible realities lie within them all...

Bibliography

Interviews with: Jerry Weinstein (Chelsea Hotel Front Desk Manager 1979-2007, in possession of Chelsea front desk registers), Chris Von Hummel (resident), Raymond Foye (resident starting in 1976), Kyle Taylor, Rita Barros (resident), Francis Love (habitué), Timur Cinquente (desk worker/bellman), Rick Librizzi (tenant, 30 years), Norman Gosney, Storme Delarverie, Lola Schnabel, Dan Cohen, Maureen Meloy, Zev Greenfield, Drew Straub, Arnold Weinstein. Also with the help of: Stanley Bard, David Bard, Michelle Bard, Gerald Busby, Michelle Zalopany, Arthur Weinstein, Colleen Weinstein, Dahlia Weinstein, Jon Berg, Susan Reiner, Debbie Martin, Ed Hamilton, Scott Griffin, Steve Willis, Brian Bothwell, Meli Pennington, David Remfry, Martine Barat, Arthur Nash, Tim Sullivan, Carolyn Hansberry, Judith Childs, Tony Notaberradino, Mark Timmerman, Richard Markowitz, Merle Lister, Gerard DeColl, Abel Ferrar, Kevin Eggers, Dan Courtenay, Laura Kaplan, Robert Lambert, Sathima Bea Benjamin, Abdullah Ibrahim, Sakwe Ibrahim, Jeanne Gray, Joe O'Neil, Joe Andoe, Ivan Cordoba, and Julio Valdeon.

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