Chapters 11-16 Summary

In this section, Karabekian describes meeting Dan Gregory. Gregory had purchased three adjacent brownstones and had made one large room encompassing the floors of all 3 dwellings. This was his studio. Karabekian recalls the unique nature of the room with six freestanding fireplaces with chimneys. Gregory had all sorts of paraphernalia in his studio, items he would study.

Dan Gregory spoke to Karabekian of his upbringing. As a child in Moscow, Gregory had an abusive father. A woman saved him from his home. Her husband was the chief engraver for paper currency, and he brought Gregory on as an apprentice when he was ten years old.

At fifteen years old, Gregory was challenged to draw a one-ruble note so good that it could pass in the marketplace as real. The intricacies of the paper currency of the time made this a near-impossible...