The 'Andy-Didact'

The New York Times puts a spotlight on Thomas Kiedrowski, the man who has tracked down every Warhol-related address in Manhattan:

He became an Andy-didact, reading about society and art in New York during the Warhol decades. No Warhol film was too eye-glazing for him.

“I watched ‘Empire,’ ” he said. “It’s eight hours and five minutes. It went by faster than you’d think.”

Although “fact” and “truth” were plastic toys to Warhol, Mr. Kiedrowski yearned for precision. “I didn’t have enough information about the Silver Factory,” he said, referring to the first of Warhol’s “factory” spaces, which was razed in 1969. “Where was it? How old is the building? I needed to find out.”

He spent Saturdays in the library. “It had a photo!” he said. “It’s amazing: 231 East 47th Street, fourth floor. The Holy Grail. That’s where he had his ‘50 Most Beautiful People Party,’ where Edie Sedgwick became a star, and so did the Brillo boxes.”

Manhattan as Warhol Knew It (New York Times)