On the morning of August 19th, 1993, mid-century architect, Norman Jaffe, parked his car in his client’s driveway, walked to Ocean Beach in Bridgehampton, New York, stripped down, folded his clothes, and dove into the Atlantic. He never returned and his body was never recovered. Was it murder? Was it suicide? Did he fake his own death? What happened to Norman Jaffe? 

This is the first episode of Clever Confidential, where we dig into the lesser known stories of the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy top coat of respectable legacy.

Images, links, and more about Norman Jaffe

Credits: 

Hosts: Amy Devers & Andrew Wagner

Guest: Alastair Gordon

Writing and research: Amy Devers & Andrew Wagner

Editing: Rich Stroffolino

All Sound Bites: from Alastair Gordon's documentary film "Beyond the Beach: The life and Death of Norman Jaffe, Architect"

Theme Music: “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope courtesy of Frontier Records. 

Logo: Laura Jaramillo

For more on Norman Jaffe please grab a copy of Alastair Gordon’s Romantic Modernist, The Life and Work of Norman Jaffe, Architect, published by Monacelli Press in 2005. It is fantastic :) 

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