The Struggling Artist at 86
Before the move, Mrs. Bertschmann recalled, “I said, Tom, we’ll never be able to afford this apartment — it’s $350!”
In 1962 she persuaded Mr. Bertschmann that as an artist, he, too, should come to New York.
With both of them on fixed incomes and with no retirement plans to speak of, their
high monthly rent, Mrs. Bertschmann said, has them “hanging by a string.”
Of course, at some point they should have bought an apartment, an option
that Mrs. Bertschmann said they considered “so many times.” But they were busy leading creative, exhilarating New York lives.
“Imagine being that age,” Mrs. Bertschmann said, “and having a taste for those things.”
From 1947 to 1951, Mr. Bertschmann attended the Basel School of Design.
“One day Harry said he wanted to do some sketches of me,” Mrs. Bertschmann said.
“He doesn’t have the money for art supplies,” Mrs. Bertschmann said.