September 25, 2000

Theft of Fossils

I am new to the MSN. I am a vertebrate paleontologist with a research specialty in dinosaurs. However, I also have concerns and interests in the management of fossil resources and their curatorial care. I have recently published the following paper, which might be of interest to the MSN:
Chure, D.J. 2000. New Threats to Old Bones: The Theft of Fossil Vertebrates from Museum Collections. Cultural Resource Management, National Park Service, v. 23 no. 5: 18-22.

This paper documents the increasing problem of theft of these materials around the world. Unfortunately, most of the specimens are never recovered. Anyone interested in a copy, please email me and I will send you one.
Dan Chure
Dinosaur National Monument
Jensen UT 84035 USA

From: George Liddell liddell@zetnet.co.uk
Subject:

RE: Collections Security

Keeping up with the security industry and its trends could be a full time job. It might help to keep a few principals in mind whilst you plan your system.
Security in every situation is a question of balance. Sometimes that balance has to take into account compromise, in light of cost etc, but in an ideal world it should not.
No security system or security environment should rely too heavily on any one aspect, alarm systems, CCTV, people, etc. Good security, particularly Museum or collections security should always, always take into account the environmental conditions in which those procedures or systems have to work and adjustments made accordingly. I'm thinking particularly of things like high or low humidity, light levels, flood areas, remoteness etc.
In many peoples minds security is just the prevention of theft. It is obvious that this is not the case, yet how many of us have seen very expensive intruder detection systems installed at the expense of fire alarms or personnel.
I have always worked on the assumption that good security is a balance of Man, Technology,, Physical Barriers, Administration, Procedures and if necessary Dogs. It has been my experience that a good dog and handler can be a very very effective tool, particularly in remote areas where police reaction is slow or ineffective.
One other thing that has always been a passion of mine is the surprise. I have always thought that the first mistake in any system is its last, with this in mind I have always built in a surprise for the thief, vandal or fire starter and that is a back up. An alarm, a secondary small CCTV system with the sole intention of providing the evidence to catch any one clever or audacious enough to get past the primary system. If evidence gathering is built in you may be out of luck this time but your evidence may put the perpetrator out of business for good, thus saving the next guy down the line.
In a nutshell, balance, variety, unpredictability, planning. Oh yes, one other thing, always think like a thief.
Regards
George Liddell

From: IntlArtCop@aol.com
Subject:

Re: training videos

In response to the question about training videos available, Horizon Institute has numerous training videos available. The old Art Institute of Chicago video called "Museum Security: The Guard's Role" is still a very viable and useful 22 minute training video and the good news is that Horizon has agreed to duplicate and distribute the video for the Art Institute at no profit. The video had been $45 when sold by the Art Institute but because Horizon has its own duplication services they can sell it for $15 plus $3 shipping (to US and Canadian addresses). No profit. Great buy. If you want to teach a whole class, the video is appropriate. In a few months we will give this video away on CD ROM as part of the next version of the Museum Security CD Resource, version 2. Since it will be on CD, it is useful for one at a time training using a computer but not real good for a whole class at one time. Horizon also has the "Horizon Basic Museum Security Officer Training Program" at 14 video program with Instructor's Guide. It includes a roll call training program, basic training program, and instructor training program. They also have certificates of completion available for those wishing to be certified. Horizon has a supervisory training series which features "Common Sense Supervision" based on the excellent best selling book by the same name. It features an interview with the author. There are law enforcement and security versions. The law enforcement version is widely used around the US but features law enforcement images while the security version was filmed in a museum. The supervisory series has other videos as well. They are listed in the Horizon catalog. Certificates are availble for this as well. If you nexpensive and a great book for any new supervisor!! The technical training series has several videos such as "How To Read Blueprints" and "How to Walk Test Your Burglar Alarm System". The blueprint video is widely used by consultants and technical people and is sold by HeathKit in their catalog and is a best seller there. Museums use it prior to a construction project to teach their employees how to understand the drawings they will use. Details of all of these are on the Horizon Institute web site. Go to www.stevekeller.com and follow the links to the Horizon section then Products. Horizon produces other videos beyond security including videos for doctors, psychologists, wrtiers, etc. Some are quite unique. Many know Horizon just as a museum security trainer but their business is much different that many think. Sorry for what may appear to be a blatant advertisement. My wife Kathy owns Horizon Institute and I normally refrain from any commercial messages but since the question was asked and since we receive a dozen or so inquiries per week, I thought I'd take this one opportunity to invite anyone who is seeking training material to consider these videos. Horizon normally only advertises its museum security videos to my clients but will sell videos to anyone. We do not normally advertise to the general museum security market so please don't regard this as as blatant an advertisement as it may appear to be. Our intent is to normally sell videos only to my consulting clients.
Steve Keller

Ex-Chief to Pay Bulk of Claims for Sotheby's

By CAROL VOGEL and RALPH BLUMENTHAL, NYT
Moving quickly to settle civil claims that it had cheated auction buyers and sellers for years, the board of Sotheby's last night approved payment of its half of a $512 million settlement, the auction house announced. The bulk of the Sotheby's payment will come from its majority shareholder and former chairman, A. Alfred Taubman.
Mr. Taubman agreed to pay $156 million of the auction house's $256 million portion during an emergency telephone meeting of Sotheby's directors from around the world late yesterday. In exchange, the company settled all potential claims against him.
"I endorse and am contributing to these settlements to facilitate the resolution of all matters and to minimize the impact on Sotheby's, a company I care about deeply," Mr. Taubman said.
In a separate settlement reached yesterday, the auction house said it had agreed to pay $30 million to resolve a long-pending lawsuit by shareholders who claimed that the company's dealings with its biggest rival, Christie's, had depressed Sotheby's stock and had clouded its prospects. This money would also be paid by Mr. Taubman, the company said. In addition, the auction house agreed to issue $40 million in class A stock to plaintiffs in the shareholders' suit. Financial analysts said all these measures were intended to assure shareholders that the company's problems were over, making the auction house more attractive for a potential takeover.
Both auction giants remain targets of a federal criminal antitrust investigation, but Sotheby's said last night that it was "in serious negotiations with the United States Department of Justice, and is optimistic that a mutually acceptable resolution will be reached in the near future." Christie's, which unlike Sotheby's is privately held, said yesterday that it "has taken all appropriate measures," but would not comment on any settlement. The formula by which the money will be divided among plaintiffs has not yet been determined, an official at one of the auction houses said. Also, no one would say yesterday how much of the settlement would go toward legal fees.
The $512 million settlement was reached Thursday night by lawyers from Weil, Gotshal & Manges, which represents Sotheby's; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, representing Christie's; and Boies, Schiller & Flexner, the lead counsel representing about 120,000 buyers and sellers who filed suit in March. The suit contended that executives of the two houses had cooperated to fix fees as far back as 1992.
Sotheby's and Christie's were to vote on the agreement by next Saturday, but after word of the agreement leaked out, Sotheby's called yesterday's meeting. In a statement yesterday, Christie's said the company "has no comment at this time of the reports that have appeared in the press regarding the civil antitrust class actions."
Of the $100 million obligation that would remain after Mr. Taubman's contribution, Sotheby's, like Christie's, would be allowed to pay $50 million in the form of certificates to sellers. These certificates would be transferrable, and could be used to reduce commission costs of future consignments. As a result, Sotheby's would only need to come up with an additional $50 million to satisfy its part of the settlement agreement.
The former chief executive of Sotheby's, Diana D. Brooks, who along with Mr. Taubman resigned under fire in February, will not contribute to the settlement at this point, lawyers familiar with the agreement said. But they added that the company, in fulfilling its responsibility to shareholders, may yet take financial action against her.
Under the terms of the agreement, in addition to the $256 million that each house must pay, the two houses must split the costs of notifying buyers and sellers. They must also split administrative expenses for processing and distributing claims, which could cost $1 million more. Figures in the art world reacted with amazement to the size of the settlement. Herbert Black, a collector and copper trader from Montreal who was the first to sue the auction houses, said, "Initially I thought it would be half of what it is, based on what my lawyers led me to believe." Asked how much money he expected to get, he would only say, "A lot."
As for the certificates, Mr. Black said, "This buys peace between Sotheby's, Christie's and its clients. Yes, I will definitely use them if I have something to sell in the future."
Art and antiques dealers - who make up a large proportion of the company's buyers and sellers - said they, too, were staggered by the settlement. "The amount reached is huge, perhaps significantly more than anyone anticipated," said Abigail Asher, a Manhattan dealer. "It will go a long way to ensuring a fair and competitive art market, which benefits everyone." "I was shocked at the amount of money," said Stephen Mazoh, an art dealer based in Rhinebeck, N.Y. "Now, I wonder how the whole thing will unravel next. Since Christie's is a privately held company, its owner, François Pinhault, can wash the losses against his other businesses. But for Sotheby's, it's a different matter."
Sotheby's has been preparing for a big payment for months. In February, the company announced that it had arranged with an international banking syndicate for up to $300 million in financing.
The class-action suit was filed in March by buyers and sellers who charged that the two houses had deprived customers of the ability to win better terms. They also charged that the companies swapped lists of their richest customers, who would be spared any sellers' fees at all.
The suit grew out of a three-year- old investigation by the Justice Department's antitrust division in New York. The statement yesterday by Sotheby's offers evidence that the investigation is nearing a conclusion, one that might be hastened by the civil settlement. For weeks, prosecutors have been seeking to turn Ms. Brooks into a witness against Mr. Taubman in return for leniency, but no terms have been reached.

Tsar Putin spends £25m on palace

FROM ALICE LAGNADO IN MOSCOW
PRESIDENT PUTIN will spend £25 million restoring a Tsarist palace near St Petersburg to be used as a second residence, in what may be perceived by many as an attempt to set himself up as an imperial Russian leader. The reconstruction of the 18th-century Constantine Palace, built near the former imperial capital for Peter the Great, will have great resonance for Russians longing for a strong, paternal leader. But it will also stir up anger at the lavish spending habits of a President ruling a country involved in two regional conflicts and mired in deep economic problems.
more:
http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/tim/2000/09/25/timfgnrus01001.html

A Hit With Tourists, Getty Museum Courts Angelenos

By BARBARA WHITAKER
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 22 - When the billion-dollar J. Paul Getty Center opened its sprawling hilltop complex in December 1997, the throngs visiting the art museum were overwhelming.
The wait for a parking reservation, often viewed the same as a ticket to the museum, reached up to six months that first year. A table at the restaurant? Visitors might as well have been asking for courtside seats to a Lakers game. A success story, definitely, but the 1.8 million visitors that first year outstripped resources and surprised museum officials who had expected attendance to be about 1.3 million. Advance planning by visitors was a must, which helped feed a perception that the Getty was inaccessible.
more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/23/national/23MUSE.html