Joshua Knelman’s book HOT ART; this book is not even fit to wrap fish in
March 31, 2012 – 13:29Just received Knelman’s book HOT ART. While browsing this book I noticed my name and the Museum Security Network (MSN) in chapter 15, more specifically at pages 290 and 291 etc.
Fascinating reading: “The genesis of MSN didn’t have to do with making money; it had to do with one museum security official coping with the aftermath of an armed robbery at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum. In 1996, Ton Cremers was head of security when a group of seventeenth-century paintings were stolen. Cremers felt isolated and vulnerable. To soothe his lonesome paranoia, he decided to start his own website, as a way to tell his story as well as a place to post articles from the world media chronicling the rising number of museum thefts. The articles were comforting to him, because they indicated that he wasn’t the only museum security director dealing with violent criminals……..In 2000, Cremers held his first MSN conference, which attracted museum professionals from across the world, including the Getty’s Bob Combs…”.
WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP!
There never ever was an armed robbery at the Rijksmuseum. Never ever ‘ a group of 17th century paintings were stolen’ from the Rijksmuseum. I never ever organized an MSN conference.
Soothing my ‘lonesome paranoia’?
‘Dealing with violent crimes’? As security director of the Rijksmuseum (and several other museums) I never ever experienced violent crimes.
What is this author writing about? I really lost all appetite to read the rest of this sensationalist book.
This books is not even fit to wrap fish in.
Ton Cremers
One Response to “Joshua Knelman’s book HOT ART; this book is not even fit to wrap fish in”
Mr.Cremers,
I’m terribly sorry to hear of your diagnosis of “lonesome paranoia” by “Doctor” Knelman.
But I suggest that “Dr. Knelman” is guilty of receiving biased information and failure to actually conduct his own independent research.
Interestingly, only fleetingly ( and in the fine print) does Knelman actually even mention Bob Bazin fromFBI Philadelphia and Bill Martin from LAPD Los Angeles, and he somehow (?? ??)completely manages to omit the entire FBI New York, Brooklyn- Queens “art squad” and other major cases of the FBI?? He attempts some sensationalism (the Los Angeles Police ride-along) and the story falls flat. Knelman has failed to adequately research his subject matter with any reasonable attention.
I am personally proud to give Bill Martin, Bob Bazin and the FBI- Brooklyn Queens Metropolitan Resident Agency all the credit for their mentoring to me.. Whom on earth does Knelman really think brings all of those NY cases to federal court, anyway?
Regarding at least the US investigators, Knelman has as we say here, “drank the Kool-Aid” . He apparently gives great credence to those self promoting vague websites and autobiographic Wikipedia entries. At best, “Hot Art” appears to be yet another poorly researched vanity publication- perhaps based on another ghost written 2010 debacle in which the “investigator” seems to never (??) actually do their job and present a case for prosecution. Thank you Mr. Cremers, for this message board and for all of your contributions to this field. If I were you, I’d get a second opinion on Knelman’s diagnosis.
Virginia Curry, Special Agent, FBI (retired)
By V.C. on Apr 1, 2012