To reply to the query seeking news of insider-involved museum thefts, there is much material available. I just finished writing one such story for this month's issue of Maine Antique Digest. On February 11, Shawn Aubitz, 45, was formally charged with one count of Theft by Federal Employee in U.S. District Court of Eastern Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). Aubitz's lawyers, Gregory Miller and Jodeen Hobbs, said he will plead guilty to the charge, according to reports published in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The charge originates from the veteran staffer's 18 years of service as curator and archivist at the National Archives, the last 14 years at the Philadelphia branch. Aubitz is accused of stealing an unknown amount of documents and other material from the Archives. The material includes Presidential pardons, a collection of 316 photos taken in space by U.S. astronauts, and a variety of other material. Some material has been recovered, much more was sold through on-line auctions and may never be found. Unfortunately, we get several such stories each year. I recommend an Internet search for museum robbery, theft, and be prepared for a lot of hits.
David Hewett, contributing editor, Maine Antique Digest. From: "Paul Schneider" pgs@global2000.net To: "'Museum Security Network'" securma@xs4all.nl Subject:
RE: Internal museum theft
In response to the posting regarding examples of museum thefts committed by employees, perhaps the following also may help. During the presentation, "Art Theft and the Federal Response," to the 2002 National Conference on Cultural Property Protection sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution, Lynne Chaffinch, Program Manager of the Art Theft Program of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stated that according to statistics they have collected over the last five years, as many as 83% of cultural property thefts that involve museum or libraries and that are reported to the FBI are internal. Aviso, a monthly publication of the American Association of Museums, published in the January 2002 issue, the major story of the conviction of a former curator of anthropology at the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison, Wisconsin, USA for "14 counts of felony theft." The curator was found guilty of stealing Native American objects estimated to be worth over $150,000 from the organization's ethnographic collections. Another widely published case of internal theft from a major US museum involved the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, where a long-time, trusted employee - in this case an assistant facilities manager - systematically stole from the museum over the course of almost ten years according to the news story, "2 get jail in theft at historical society," published by The Philadelphia Inquirer on July 17, 1998. In this case the value of objects stolen was estimated to be 2.5 million dollars. These widely publicized examples may assist the person posting the inquiry in helping convince his institution's administration that while depressing and seemingly unthinkable in a profession where the majority of people are highly committed and dedicated to their jobs, the reality of the threat of internal theft is ever present. Denial that this type of crime occurs ill serves any museum and in reality could create a situation where the potential for such theft actually increases because requisite checks and balances which help deter such opportunities may be absent or viewed as completely un-necessary.
Paul G. Schneider, Jr. Consulting Security Specialist and Owner Heritage Protection, LLC 103 Tenth Street Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Telephone: 518-584-7918 E-mail: pgs@global2000.net
From: Anna Kisluk akisluk@alrny.com To: "'SECURMA@XS4ALL.NL'" SECURMA@XS4ALL.NL Copies to: David Shillingford dshillingford@alrny.com Subject:
RE: Internal museum theft
Date sent: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 10:43:37 -0500
Dear Mr. Cremers,
In response to the question about "insider theft from museums," unfortunately, there are a number of cases where an "insider " was involved in the theft. At the Pennsylvania Historical Society, a janitor systematically took items from inventory over a period of almost a decade (swords, historic memorabilia) and sold them to a collector. Thankfully, the items were recovered after an FBI investigation . Another case involved the former director of the Southwest Museum who "deaccessioned' items without authorization and was later convicted. After the losses were publicized, numerous items were recovered but many are still missing and continue to turn up. Just three years ago, a Hopi Kachina doll was identified by the Art Loss Register at an auction house and returned to the museum. Brigham Young University is still looking for numerous paintings "deaccesioned" without authorization, perhaps during the 1970's. Then there was the professor who cut pages from manuscripts at the Vatican Library and many years later tried to sell them.
There are many similar cases where it is believed that someone in the museum was responsible for the theft or loss of a work of art. In these instances, access to the items was not available to the general public and there was no burglary or break-in. A somewhat common theme is that the stolen works disappear from storage or inventory - again indicative of possibly being an "inside job." Security experts can advise museums on the measure to take to at least reduce the risk of such an occurrence. Among the measures strongly recommended by security professionals is a regular inventory of the objects in a collection whether held by a museum or institution, a dealer or gallery or a private individual.
Sincerely, Anna J. Kisluk Director of Art Services The Art Loss Register 20 East 46th Street, Suite 1402 New York, NY 10017 Tel: 212-297-0941 Fax: 212-972-5091 E-mail: akisluk@alrny.com Website: www.artloss.com
Experts to determine whether painting seized by police is a Picasso original
By Hada Sarhan AMMAN — Art experts are trying to determine whether a painting recently seized by the police is the work of Spanish artist Pablo Ruiz Picasso. Initial examinations indicate that the painting could be an original, although many Picasso fakes are in circulation, art critic Mazen Asfour told The Jordan Times. "The canvas is very old and the lines and texture... support the belief that it might be authentic," he said. The painting, which belongs to Picasso's Experimental Cubic period that started in the early 1900s, could be worth over JD1million if its authenticity is proven, he added.
The one-metre-long by 0.70-metre-wide canvas is a portrait of a man dissected by geometric patterns. It carries Picasso's signature, but is untitled. Tayel Majali, the head of the Anti- Narcotics Department, said the painting was smuggled into the Kingdom from a neighbouring country, and was found in the possession of a group of Jordanians who were apprehended after police were tipped off that they were looking for buyers for a Picasso painting. Police sent undercover agents posing as buyers to arrest the men, who told interrogators that the painting was given to them by some Arab nationals seeking to sell it, he added.
The painting is believed to have been stolen from a Kuwaiti palace during the 1990-91 Gulf crisis. Many valuable art objects that were stolen from private collections in Kuwaiti homes and palaces during the 1991 Gulf War found their way to the Western market, mostly smuggled by Iraqis. The seized painting has labels on the reverse indicating that it had once been displayed in London's Leftover and Upper Street Galleries.
Another label says it is the property of the Suad Sabah Institution in Kuwait. However, the institutions' director Mohammed Qatmah has denied that the Picasso was ever in his possession. On the other hand, Sabah, who currently resides in London, told The Jordan Times on Friday that her palace in Kuwait was robbed in 1990, and many precious items were stolen, including paintings by Picasso.
Some critics were sceptical about the painting's authenticity.
Jordanian Plastic Art Association President Mohammed Ameri said it was highly possible that the painting was not a bona fide Picasso, because there had been similar cases in the past of people trying to sell fake paintings. No claims for the painting have so far been recorded, either by Kuwaitis or the London -based Art Loss Register. This body provides a resource whereby the public, as well as law enforcement groups, can register stolen art. The Register began operations in 1991 and was established by the art community and insurance industry to combat art theft.
Pablo Ruiz Picasso, born in 1881, is famed for his complex and unpredictable work. He produced over 20,000 works of art — paintings, drawings, engravings, collages, sculptures and pottery — before his death in 1973. A committee of several art experts from the University of Jordan, the Ministry of Culture and the Jordanian Plastic Art Association will also examine the painting this week to give a final assessment. http://www.jordantimes.com/
Ungarn sucht nach Fundort des Seuso-Schatzes
Pressebericht über neue Spuren A. O. Budapest, 12. März
Die in Budapest erscheinende Tageszeitung Nepszabadsag hat am Dienstag in einem ausführlichen, auf der Titelseite beginnenden Artikel über neue Erkenntnisse der Polizei in der sogenannten Seuso-Angelegenheit berichtet. Der Seuso-Schatz, ein vermutlich aus mehreren Dutzend Stücken bestehendes Silberservice, eine reich verzierte römische Goldschmied-Arbeit vom Ende des 4. Jahrhunderts, ist nur zu einem Teil vorhanden, und sein Fundort gilt als umstritten. Um 14 Stücke, die sich zurzeit im Besitz von Lord Northampton befinden, wurde vor zehn Jahren in New York ein Prozess geführt, bei dem mehrere Länder, unter ihnen Ungarn, den Schatz für sich beanspruchten, doch gelang es keinem von ihnen, den Nachweis zu erbringen, dass die Sammlung silberner Schüsseln, Krüge und Becher auf seinem Territorium ausgegraben worden ist.
Der Bericht von «Nepszabadsag» ist das Ergebnis einer beachtlichen journalistischen Recherchearbeit, er wurde aber auch durch die ungarische Polizei ermöglicht, die jetzt anscheinend ein Interesse daran hat, gewisse Informationen an die Öffentlichkeit zu bringen. Der Artikel enthält im Wesentlichen zwei neue Auskünfte. Nach Aussagen eines hohen Polizeioffiziers sind die Fahndungsbehörden zum Schluss gekommen, dass ein Soldat namens Jozsef Sümegh Ende 1980 in der Nähe der Ortschaft Polgardi am Plattensee doch nicht Selbstmord begangen hat, sondern vermutlich ermordet worden ist. Sümegh, im Zivilberuf Bergmann, soll zuvor nach Zeugenaussagen wiederholt damit geprahlt haben, dass er einen wertvollen Schatz ausgegraben habe. Manche erklären sogar, sie hätten von Sümegh gezeigte einzelne Stücke des Schatzes gesehen. Die zweite wichtige Aussage lautet, die Polizei sei im Jahr 2000 durch einen Hinweis auf die Spur einer Gruppe gekommen, deren Mitglieder, Einheimische, 1980 und hernach in der Seuso-Affäre eine Schlüsselrolle gespielt hätten.
Der Wert der nach Westeuropa gelangten Teile des Schatzes wird laut dem Bericht auf umgerechnet 240 Millionen Franken geschätzt. Die ungarische Polizei schliesst nicht aus, dass einzelne Stücke sich immer noch in Ungarn befinden, und sie hofft, in die Affäre so weit Licht bringen zu können, dass der juristisch entscheidende Fundort bekannt wird. Zu den Zeugen, die vernommen werden sollen, gehört, wie «Nepszabadsag» schreibt, ein in der Schweiz lebender serbischer Antiquitätenhändler, der laut einem ehemaligen Agenten von Scotland Yard weiss, wo sich 16 weitere Stücke des Seuso-Schatzes befinden.
http://www.nzz.ch/ From: "Myles Newlove" myles.newlove@aigworldwide.net To: securma@xs4all.nl Subject:
Global tracking system - High Value Asset Tracking
Dear Mr Ton Cremers,
Our organisation, together with the a major museum, have been working in designing a Global Tracking Device to be used for tracking of high value art work.
As we sent you some details in regards to this matter and you posted those on your website. We have noticed there is considerable interest internationally in such a system and debate over such a system may work.
I would like to point out that our organisation is not involved in creating the device, we are a consulting and crisis management agency and were asked by the museum to search for a global tracking device that would meet there specific needs.
Our task was to search for a device and then verify the claims of the supplier who designed the device. I am pleased to tell you we are in the final stages of completing our testing and the outcomes of the system has surpassed the requirements that were set out in the project.
As there is so much interest in the device I would be very happy to forward some details on the device to interested parties, who can then contact us for further information.
Myles
Myles C. Newlove Managing Director Aurora Intelligence Group Pty. Ltd.
Telephone: +61 3 9440 5546 (24hrs) Facsimile: +61 3 9440 5626 Mob: +61 407 226 548 Email: myles.newlove@aigworldwide.net