Jay Raymond graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Art. He is also a graduate of and former faculty member at The Barnes Foundation. He has worked primarily as a heating mechanic and heating contractor as well as a building inspector and handyman. He is the author of Streamlined Irons and Mangle Boards of Northern Europe. He appears prominently in the documentary film about the Barnes Foundation, The Art of the Steal, and has been quoted on the subject in The New York Times.