Brothers Homer and Langley Collyer filled their Harlem townhouse with 140 tons of junk

In the 1930s, brothers Homer and Langley Collyer withdrew from society and began to fill their Manhattan brownstone with newspapers, furniture, musical instruments, and assorted junk. By 1947, when Homer died, the house was crammed with 140 tons of rubbish, and Langley had gone missing. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the strange, sad story of the Hermits of Harlem.

We'll also buy a bit of Finland and puzzle over a banker's misfortune.

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