October 24, 2000

Stolen, Lost, & Missing Fossils

Dear Subscribers,
A recent call by Dan Chure (Dinosaur National Monument) for the establishment of a stolen fossil database has been gaining steam. The Society of Vertebra Paleontology is going to be discussing this at their annual meeting in Mexico City later this week. We support these efforts and wish Mr. Chure good luck with this proposal.
For those with an interest in this topic, here is a posting of URL's, noting stolen, lost, and missing fossils. Should MSN subscribers have reports of missing fossils, or input concerning the establishment of a stolen fossil database, please contact Dan Chure danchure@easilink.com
Hope you find this of interest.
Jonathan Sazonoff
Saz Productions, Inc.
http://www.saztv.com
Contributing US Ed
Museum Security Network
http://www.museum-security.org

Stolen Fossils, Paleontological Thefts, Recoveries & Protection

Fossil Protection Links Version 1.1.7 (William Douglas Boyce, April 14, 2000)
http://spnhc.geo.ucalgary.ca/documents/fossilprotection.htm

State of the field: "New Threat to Old Bones" by Dan Chure
http://tps.cr.nps.gov/crm/archive/23-05/23-05-6.pdf (Acrobat file)

Thefts by Country:

Australia: Fossil - Reward
http://www.afp.gov.au/operations/genops.htm
Australia: Australian Fossil Thefts
http://www.mlssa.asn.au/nletters/november99.htm
Australia: ABC News - 25/08/00 : Stolen fossils to return to Flinders Ranges
http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/nature/2000/08/item20000825100959_1.htm
Australia: PM - 22/02/00: Fossil thief gets two years jail
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/s102390.htm
Australia: InSCIght - 20 January 1999 : Australians Recapture Stolen Dino Print
http://www.apnet.com/inscight/01191999/graphb.htm
Australia: Stegosaur footprints stolen
http://www.dinosauria.com/jdp/stolen/stegfoot.htm

Brazil: (General) Parabólicas: Articles - Fossil hunters invade Araripe
http://www.socioambiental.org/website/parabolicas/english/backissu/37/articles/pg4.html

Canada: Edmonton Artifacts Theft:Alberta Report - Story Page
http://albertareport.com/volume26/990614/story4.html

China: Japanese museums' purchases create controversy
http://www.dinosauria.com/jdp/stolen/japan.html
China: Scientist Disputes China Fossil
http://www.flatdisk.net/exonews/scientist.htm
China: WWII Fossil Losses - Peking Man
http://www.culturalheritagewatch.org/war/war001.html

Egypt: (General)Al-Ahram Weekly | Living | A whale of a time
http://www.ahram.org.eg/weekly/1999/445/li1.htm

India: Stolen Dinosaur Eggs
http://www.travel-india.com/news/1998/dinosauregg.htm

Italy: U.S. CUSTOMS RECOVERS PREHISTORIC ITALIAN
http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/hot-new/pressrel/2000/0209-00.htm

Philippines: Stolen Dinosaur Eggs
http://www.museum-security.org/99/044.html#7

Russia: CNN - Someone's swiping dinosaur parts from Russian institute - February 8, 1998
http://www3.cnn.com/TECH/9802/08/dinosaur.parts/
Russia: 1996 Dinosaur skulls stolen from Paleontological Institute, Moscow
http://www.dinosauria.com/jdp/stolen/russia.htm
Report: Museum workers smuggle fossils abroad
http://www.thonline.com/News/012298/National/92475.htm

South Africa - Stolen Fossilized Plant
http://www.nbi.ac.za/kirstenbosch/conservatory/gondwana.htm

UK: Blaze's Den - The Isle of Wight - Dinosaurs -stolen footprints
http://www.irascible.demon.co.uk/info/isle/dinos.htm
UK: some of these fossils were stolen
http://www.charmouthfossils.co.uk/catalogue/

US: FOSSILS ON FEDERAL AND INDIAN LANDS
Report of the Secretary of the Interior May 2000
http://www.doi.gov/fossil/fossilreport.htm
US, CA: University of California News Release
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/99legacy/7-2-1999.html
US, CO: Steamboat Springs Fossil exhibit theft
http://www.steamboatpilot.com/archives_old/archives/9-11-98.html#story1
US, IL Mamazon Fish
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9701C&L=museum-l&P=R6326&m=24610
US, MI: Missing: 25,000,000-year-old rhino
http://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/U_Record/Issues96/Oct01_96/rhino.htm
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9609E&L=museum-l&P=R1395&m=10381
US, MI: Ancient Rhino Ruins Stolen
http://www.netspace.org/users/herald/issues/100196/brief4.f.html
http://www.cmnh.org/fun/dinosaur-archive/1996Oct/0009.html
US, MN: MUSEUM-L archives September 1994 (#708) Theft at Carleton College, Northfield, MN
http://home.dc.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9409&L=museum-l&P=R22368
US, WY: AMATEUR FOSSIL COLLECTOR IS SNARED IN U.S. STING
http://www.fs.fed.us/geology/powhatan.html
http://www.fs.fed.us/geology/powhatan2.html
US, WY : Fossils Being Plundered by Thieves / KEMMERER, Wyo. (AP) FEBRUARY 08, 2000
http://www.flatdisk.net/exonews/fossils_plundered.htm
US, WY: Dinosaur Cops - Big Wave TV http://www.bigwavetv.com/DinosaurCops/PressRelease.htm
US, WY: Operation Rockfish http://www.alea.org/airbeat/Rockfish.htm
US: Stolen fossilized wood http://www.npca.org/readaboutit/pressrelease10petrified.html

Fossil Forgery

Paleontology - Scroll down - A Mostly Complete Piltdown Man Bibliography
http://earth.ics.uci.edu/faqs/piltdown/piltref.html

From: Tom Dixon tom.dixon@ngv.vic.gov.au
Subject:

Flight direction of works of art in transit

Following is a slightly edited version of correspondence regarding flight direction of painting between Tom Dixon, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne and Steven Hackney, Tate Gallery, London

Steven
We just wound up the Melbourne IIC Congress here in Melbourne which I think was a success. I met a few of your Tate colleagues, but was hoping to see you here to pick your brains about a few items.
As you would be aware, when we lend items internationally, they go a long way- 10,000 miles and 24 hour flights aren't unusual. I just returned two weeks ago from Houston Texas with our Trevisani painting which was in the Roman Painting show in the U.S.- air ride, air conditioned truck from Houston to Dallas for about 5 hours, then small wheeled and as far as I could tell, unsuspended trolley pulled by a small tractor to the aircraft with the crate on an aluminium tray, fly Houston to LA in about 2 hours, then again off that plane and into another holding shed, then repacked on another aluminium tray and again by small wheeled trolley to the Qantas plane, then a straight flight from LA to Melbourne for about 18 hours.
My question is regarding flight direction. The box was just big enough that there was no choice in its orientation on the aluminium tray pallet- it could only go on the long way. We had asked for the crate to fly in the lengthwise direction and I was told this would be the case, but in fact it actually flew sideways- and there was no choice if it was to be secured to a tray-pallet. The alternative of having it loose would not be very attractive.
I just can't come to grips with why, once in the air in the hold of a 747, there would be more vibration for the picture inside a double crate going sideways as opposed to lengthwise through space. It also seems to me the rate determining step of the equation is the shaking the thing gets on the small wheeled trolley used to transport the pallet from the warehouse to the aircraft across the tarmac. I could understand a risk of tipping on landing and takeoff, but we covered this by stacking old wood skip pallets on both sides of the crate and in fact, I think it would be safer going sideways as it was so well protected in that orientation, but the crate could concievably have slipped in the long direction if a violent jarring occured on takeoff or landing (though it was contained with a heavy cargo net).
Do you or your Tate colleagues have any comment or advice you can lend on the issue of flight direction of crates on long haul air flights?
Hope all is well and sorry you didn't make it to Melbourne.
With best regards
Tom Dixon
Chief Conservator
National Gallery of Victoria
Melbourne

Hello Tom
Sorry I did not come to Melbourne. I am sure it was very interesting and enjoyable conference.
In answer to your question, your analysis of the problem seems to me to be accurate. We have ceased to worry about the direction of flight some time ago. As you point out your flights are much longer in duration and so this issue is important, but the issue was always the shock of landing and acceleration at take-off. If this were a serious problem the passengers would be complaining more than the paintings. In general any vehicle that is designed for people is likely to be safe for paintings. In a jet fighter the accelerations in flight might be significant, in a 747 or airbus they are not, even on landing. So you are quite right not to be concerned with the direction in flight.
Again, as you have identified, the most significant vibration experienced by a painting is on the ground. Trolleys and bumpy surfaces are a problem, even roller beds put in some vibration. At Frankfurt recently my load was transferred to another flight and had to be transported several hundred metres across tarmac and ribbed concrete on a shaky looking vehicle. We are lucky that many flights from Heathrow are direct, but just one loading can still involve some vibration. I am not sure that there is anything that a courier can do about the problem. You may have some suggestions - I would be interested in any. But I am confident that most packing cases will deal with this type of repeated shock. In fact on an uneventful journey this is the time when the case is earning its ticket.
I hope that gives you one less thing to worry about and a new one to fill the gap. At least it allows you to concentrate on the more important issue that you have identified correctly.
regards
Stephen

Nazi-looted Cezanne seized by French court in ownership dispute

A French court has seized a painting by Paul Cezanne stolen in 1941 by the Nazis, now on exhibit in Paris, until its true ownership can be determined, officials said Wednesday.
The seascape by the French post-Impressionist is part of the much-heralded private collection of German doctor Gustav Rau, selected works of which are on display at Paris' Musee du Luxembourg until January 4, 2001.
Earlier this year, the Art Loss Register -- an international listing of artworks stolen by the Nazis -- alerted descendants of Josse Bernheim-Jeune that the Cezanne in Rau's collection could be the piece reported stolen from Bernheim-Jeune in 1941.
After writing to the Rau Foundation to request that an investigation be opened into the painting's origins, the family members obtained a court order on October 5 to seize the work.
"This painting was part of my grandfather's personal collection, kept at his gallery," said Bernheim-Jeune's grandson, Guy-Patrice Dauberville. "Even if the Bernheim-Jeune gallery was taken over by the Nazis during the occupation, my grandfather's personal property in his safe should not have been taken.
"However, the gallery's designated manager, Mr Gras, took it upon himself to sell what was in my grandfather's safe," Dauberville said.
The painting, known simply as 7407 in an inventory of French Nazi war booty, will remain on display in the Paris museum, but cannot be sold or taken from the collection until its ownership is determined.
"We were astonished to see that the work was, after all this, in the exhibit at the Musee du Luxembourg, so we decided to have it blocked to assert our rights, without demanding that it be removed from the exhibit," he said. Officials at the museum, located in the Luxembourg palace that houses France's Senate, have highlighted Rau's "obvious good faith" in wanting the matter to be resolved.
The work has been displayed in New York, Washington, San Francisco and London since it was stolen. Rau bought the painting in 1981 at Sotheby's. The Rau collection includes around some 1,000 paintings, sculptures and objets d'art, including masterpieces covering five centuries of Western art, accumulated over 30 years by the German doctor.
The number of artworks stolen by the Nazis in World War II is estimated to at about 220,000 items, according to the US State Department, of which 60,000 were recovered after the war.
Delegates at an international forum on missing Nazi art held two weeks ago proposed the creation of a website to track down stolen artworks and appealed for a more open policy worldwide on archives detailing changes in ownership.
Agence France Presse

Theft from Swedish Museum

http://www.police.se/gemensam/rps/rkp/rkpspan/thielska/thielska.htm