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September 20, 1999
CONTENTS:
- query: Databases (Louise Hallett)
- product information: "ANTI SNATCH" ALARM
- Pompeii security consultant needs advice (Adalberto Biasiotti)
- Arts-Nepal: Stolen Artifacts Wind up in Western Museums
- Wear, tear disfigure museum's loaned art
- query: Anthony Van Dyck "Missing Paintings" (Martin Jeffery)
- Re: Interpol CD, Virginia M. Curry (Steve Keller)
- Re: Interpol CD (David Shillingford)
- Re: arrests Headley-Whitney museum theft (Steve Keller)
Museum Security Network securma@xs4all.nl
Subject: Databases
I am doing some research into what different databases with imaging facilities are available for museums, collectors, dealers etc. Can anyone help? I'd be grateful for any suggestions.
Louise Hallett
http://museum-security.org/anti-snatch-alarm.htm
"ANTI SNATCH" ALARM
This unit is suitable for fitting to the reverse side of a picture. It is simple to fit, does not require any additional wiring and is unobtrusive. The alarm detects sudden movements and will protect the item from any "snatch and grab" theft. Controlled by a key switch, the alarm is battery operated and features a siren capable of producing 112 decibels. When activated the siren sounds for 60 seconds and then rearms. These can form a cost-effective alternative to security wiring of your premises. One key can control all alarms.
To: "Museum Security Network" securma@xs4all.nl
Subject: Pompeii security consultant needs advice
I am security consultant to Pompeii Archaeological superintendent, in chrage of Pompeii, herculaneum, Stabia, Oplontis, and other sites. I am ICRROM lecturer and consultant to other italian museums. We foreee a move from the actual 2 million visitors per year to 4 million, for Jubilee year. We are planning as much security and safety as we may afford and suggestions and past experiences from Pompeii visits are welcome. As token of appreciation, I will be happy to mail to respondents a recent book on arte security (in Italian!)
Best regards
from Adalberto Biasiotti
Arts-Nepal: Stolen Artifacts Wind up in Western Museums
KATHMANDU, (Sep. 16) IPS - A decade after the publication of "Stolen Images of Nepal," a comprehensive photographic documentation of the country's stolen sculptures, a group of icons featured in the book have been returned. In what the country's archaeologists and art lovers describe as a "historic event," a Los Angeles-based art collector recently returned four sculptures dating back to the 9th century A.D. "It is a historic event. This has never happened before. It has been for centuries that Nepal's art work has been plundered but this is the first time that someone has felt morally obliged to return any. That is a historic first," said art watcher Jurgen Schick. Photographs of numerous Hindu and Buddhist icons, taken by Schick during his travels in the Valley in the early 1980s, feature in the book (published in 1989 by the Royal Nepal Academy) by leading art historian and former vice-chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy Lain S. Bangdel. Schick's own book, "The Gods are Leaving the Country, Art Theft from Nepal," published in German in the same year, carries pictures and accounts of stone and bronze sculptures that disappeared from Nepal in the 1970s and '80s. An English edition of the book was published in 1997. The work of both men, one a connoisseur whose work spans 30 years, the other a self-confessed art lover who spent seven years painstakingly documenting the Valley's icons, is detailed proof of the plunder of Nepal's 2000 year-old cultural history. The books, according to archaeologists, may be the only record of Nepal's stolen artworks. "In the absence of the Archaeology Department's own records, these books may be the only existing evidence that will enable us to claim artworks that have disappeared from the country," said archaeologist C. P. Tripathee. The Department, overcoming bureaucratic hurdles, spent about $3,000 to bring back the sculptures estimated at over $100,000. The artworks -- a 9th century Buddha image, a 10th century Garudasana Vishnu image, the mutilated head of a 12th century Saraswati image and a 14th century Surya image -- are now in the National Museum in Kathmandu. Schick, who first arrived in 1980 as a tourist, was struck by the wealth of culture concentrated in Kathmandu, a valley comprising the ancient cities of Patan, Bhaktapur and Kathmandu. His aim to put together a comprehensive book on the Valley's heritage changed when on his rounds, he began to notice empty niches, holes in the wall and mutilated statues -- the work of professional international art-theft organizations. Many of these sacred idols, worshipped and venerated by generations of Nepalis, lie behind glass cases in the sterile atmosphere of art galleries, museums, and private collections in the West. "In the early 80's, I'd taken a group to look at the statue of Lakshmi Narayana in Bhaktapur. It wasn't there. It had been stolen in the night. There was a crowd of people. Women were weeping," recalls Schick. Today, an ugly, badly-done copy stands in its place. Like Bangdel's book, the aim of Schick's book, apart from providing evidence of the theft, is to change the purchasing policies of Western collections and lay the ground for a future return. Schick cites examples. A Sotheby's Catalogue (New York, 1990) on Himalayan Art published a 15th century sculpture of Vasudeva Kamalaja. The sculpture was stolen in 1984. A 10th century stone sculpture of Uma Mahesvara, stolen in the mid 1960s, is on display in the Denver Museum in the U.S. Another Uma Mahesvara statue, stolen in 1984 from the hamlet of Bhaktapur, is on display in the Guimet Museum in Paris, one of the world's leading museums of South Asian art. "The statue used to be there," said Bhaktapur resident Rabindra Kharbuja, pointing to an empty, moss-covered niche, just a couple of yards from the fake statue of Laxmi Narayana. "The recent return of stolen artworks has given us hope. If our gods come back, we will go to the airport to receive them with pomp and ceremony. We've worshipped them for centuries." Eight other sculptures, documented in Bangdel's book, are missing from the immediate vicinity. More than aesthetic works of art, the sacred icons have a deeply religious significance for generations of Nepalis who worship them with flowers, vermilion, milk and butter. Many of the remaining statues have been put behind ugly iron bars that are cemented to the ground to deter art-robbers. The export of artifacts older than 100 years is banned in Nepal. "The nineties have experienced less art theft. I guess there is not much left to steal," said Schick. "I think attitudes are changing too. The market is shrinking." A U.N. Convention, ratified by Nepal in 1976 but yet to be signed by Western countries, bans the export and transfer of ownership of cultural property. Its implementation could save the heritage of many countries like Nepal.
c 1999 Cable News Network.
Wear, tear disfigure museum's loaned art
September 18, 1999
BY REBEKAH SCOTT
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Four paintings glow beneath the grime of four decades. They belong to the Toledo Museum of Art, but they hang on the walls of two churches and a union hall. They are beloved by those who work or worship around them, but at least three of the landscapes may soon return to the museum for cleanup, repairs, storage, and possible auctioning. Splatters, holes, chips, and tears accumulate where an oil-on-canvas picture co-exists with people, said Toledo art conservator Bill Chapin, who inspected the paintings at The Blade's request. The four canvases he surveyed yesterday afternoon show a need for expert care, Mr. Chapin said. "Too often, art is stuck on the wall and taken for granted," Mr. Chapin said. "It's subject to environmental hazards -dust, smoke, changes in temperature and humidity. Little by little, day by day, damage is done. It's insidious. It's very gradual, like aging." Toledo area art appraiser Jim Barrett, at The Blade's request, conducted a computer search of more than 800 galleries that sold paintings and artwork over the past 15 years. "If the museum is lending something for a long period of time, it's safe to assume it's not of a great value," he said. "Museums keep lots of these kinds of things in storage for years. We're not dealing with Rembrandts or Picassos here," he said. The pictures at Collingwood Presbyterian Church, Sylvania United Church of Christ, and the Teamsters Union hall show the reasons why the art museum discontinued its 30-year-old lending program in the early 1970s.
The four canvases came to light when James F. White, Jr., a member of the Toledo Cultural Arts Center board, asked Roger Berkowitz, director of the art museum, if the museum might lend a painting for display at the remodeled Valentine Theatre. Mr. Berkowitz said a polite "no," and cited security, environmental, and curatorial policies. Mr. White accepted the decision and said he understands the museum's concerns. At Sylvania United Church of Christ on Erie Street in Sylvania, Chilean artist Jorge Caballero's 1941 Storm is displayed in a sunny, newly remodeled lobby. It hangs just above a backless bench, right at elbow level. There's a u-shaped tear in a lower corner of the Impressionist skyscape. Someone tried to stick it back together with gray duct tape. "Something's been splashed on it, at some point," Mr. Chapin pointed out. "The frame is peeling. This is what happens when a painting is taken down off the wall and moved around." A janitor said the rip appeared about two years ago, after the lobby was remodeled. "I think someone bumped into it with something," he said. At the Teamsters Joint Council 44 hall on Hawley Street, The Plowers dominates a wide stairwell. It was painted in about 1903 by Russian romantic realist S.M. Seidenberg. It portrays five men pulling and pushing a plow - "the original Teamsters," said one office worker at the union hall. "It's beautiful. We love it. Don't take it away!" she cried. But the Plowers may need some rehabilitation to continue their labors. "Over time, the painting pulls on the nails that hold the canvas in the frame," Mr. Chapin said. "You can see some long, lateral cracks across the surface, which could be from humidity or temperature changes. There's a scrape over the man's red hat. There's some chipping, some paint loss. And you don't have to be an expert to see the dirt on this thing." "We understand the Teamsters are really fond of their Plowers, but when there are conservation issues, we have to take corrective steps," Patricia Whitesides, the museum's registrar, said. "We need to take a good look, and take care of any problems we learn about." Mr. Chapin said no one is to blame for the damage. Some could have been done long before the painting was hung in the union hall. But at the foot of the stairs is another story: The Dream, a 1950 surrealist landscape by Toledo artist Miles Silverman. There's a small hole right in the middle. Drops of brown liquid dapple the sky. Years of smoke from the ashtray on the floor below have stained the canvas a dull brown. The news is not all bad. Southaven Mill is in very nice shape, sealed inside a library lounge at Collingwood Presbyterian Church on Collingwood Boulevard. The 1925 oil painting by Walter Granville-Smith arrived at the church in 1951, and hasn't been moved since. There's no direct sunlight in the room. The temperature stays steady year-round. Nobody smokes there, and the room is used only six or eight times a month, said secretary Stephanie Beckman. "We have a couple of active members who make it a point: This is a great picture. Don't mess with it!" There are no cracks in the paint surface. The colors are dulled by dust, but the heavy gold frame and the picture inside are in good condition, Mr. Chapin said. Mr. Barrett found that similar paintings by Cabellero sold at Sotheby's and Christie's auction houses for up to $4,125 in 1994. Granville-Smith works were "all over the price range,'' at $750 to $5,000. A "good-sized" Granville-Smith can sell for up to $5,000, Mr. Barrett said, but only to a limited market. The paintings at the Teamsters' hall are open to question, he said, as no works by either artist have appeared on international markets within the past 15 years. The museum's lending program began sometime in the 1940s, Ms. Whiteside said, and peaked in about 1963, when 50 works were lent to community institutions. Mr. Berkowitz said the four pictures that remain at large are "a matter of housekeeping I am discussing with Ms. Whitesides." Ms. Whitesides said the four paintings on loan from the museum are not endangered, but now that the museum knows they need attention, museum officials will take action. Mr. Berkowitz said no decisions have been made about the fate of the pictures, but he would not consider donating them to the churches or the union. "That wouldn't be fiscally responsible," he said. "We aren't in the business of giving away works of art. . . . If we found the pictures didn't suit our purposes, we would consider de-accessioning them and auctioning them, and putting the money back into the museum to buy other works."
c 1999, The Blade, All Rights Reserved.
http://www.toledoblade.com/editorial/art/9i18art.htm
From: "Martin Jeffery" martinj@nsw.bigpond.net.au
Subject: Anthony Van Dyck "Missing Paintings"
Dear Sir/Madam,
During my research into Sir Anthony Van Dyck, I came across some information about war treasures. It mentioned that at least 3 or 4 canvasses by Van Dyck were taken and are still missing and ended up in the South Pacific....?? Could you please help me on this matter....Were they taken as war treasures? Any help would be gratefully appreciated.
Thanks.
Regards,
Martin Jeffery.
From: IntlArtCop@aol.com
Subject: Re: Interpol CD, Virginia M. Curry (Steve Keller)
In a message dated 9/17/99 1:18:08 AM, Virginia Curry writes regarding the Interpol database:
Unless we restrict access to this material to a traceable record, we will never know the identities of those in contact with the stolen art, unless they decide to step forward. After all, isn't this all about recovering the stolen art, prosecuting the culpable parties and discouraging future thefts?
I'm not sure that I understand this issue entirely and welcome further comment. Why exactly is this bad? If there are other databases that also do not provide any traceable record but require the inquirer to check multiple databases, other than inconveniencing the tracer, what is the difference? Why should the FBI object to someone using the database?
You state that "After all, isn't this all about recovering the stolen art, prosecuting the culpable parties and discouraging future thefts?". For the law enforcement officer, it is ALL about prosecuting the culpable parties with some amount of emphasis on recovery and prevention. For Security people, it is ALL about preventing a theft--at least in their institution--and making a recovery should a theft occur. That is the primary difference between law enforcement and private security and is one of the most troublesome things for a law enforcement officer who tries to transition from law enforcement to security. I had difficulty 22 years ago when I transitioned and have seen it often in others, too. It took me a long time to realize my job was to prevent, not to set a trap and catch someone for prosecution.
I can see a problem restricting access to the database if the security mission interferes with the administration of justice, but the big picture in art recovery is similar to the big picture in a kidnapping--get the baby back at all costs. If the primary reason for wanting to restrict access to the database is to keep the informaiton to yourselves in law enforcement so we don't mess up your case by investigating, identifying, and negotiating the return outside of law enforcement channels, then this conflict ought to be resolved. But I'm not sure that law enforcement is giving enough resources to the vast number of less than spectacular art thefts to justify them keeping all of the resources for recovery to themselves. Exactly how many people does the FBI employ in art theft investigations? I know it isn't many because to this day they have yet to ask my advice on the Gardner theft and I'm sure many other leads went uninvestigated due to lack of manpower available. The bureau has yet to ask my opinion on a single art theft in a single museum I have been a consultant to. It would seem that the guy who did the vulnerability survey should be the FIRST to be contacted.
My point is, sometimes we in private security or the insurance industry have to have access to good resources if there is any chance of getting a recovery or stolen art.
What am I missing here?
Steve Keller, CPP
steve@stevekeller.com
From: "David Shillingford" DavidSALRNY@worldnet.att.net
Subject: Interpol CD (David Shillingford)
Ton,
With reference to your comments underlining the intelligent line taken by Ms Curry you ask about requests for searches to the ALR. We record all searches that are requested. This information has been vital to law enforcement in numerous cases, most recently when a dealer requested a search of the ALR already knowing (it was recently shown in court) that the item was stolen. We are careful to constantly monitor access to our database and will demand the same standards as we discuss with our various partners the important step of moving on line .
David Shillingford.
d_j_s@bigfoot.com
Tel : 212 262 4831
Fax: 212 202-3722
Cell: 917 520 5093
UK: 171 235 3393
Web: http://www.artloss.com
From: IntlArtCop@aol.com
Subject: Re: arrests Headley-Whitney museum theft
In a message dated 9/18/99 3:01:28 AM, securma@xs4all.nl writes, with regard to the arrests of three men in connection with the Headley-Whitney theft several years ago:
"They came in and disabled the alarm system," Evans said. "They appeared to know what they were going after, and they got out despite the alarm system and the [security] efforts the museum had taken. They went right through them."
I'd like to comment on this since it can serve as a lesson to everyone. My comments in no way are intended to be critical of anyone or to reflect negatively on the museum or its staff. This is one of those events that could have happened to anyone. I was called in after the fact to review security. The thieves did not actually defeat the alarm system. They defeated the people monitoring the alarm system and responding to it. This is an important distinction. I still don't know what they did or how they did it. Someone may know but at the time, neither I nor the authorities could determine what they did. But I have not been involved in this case since my post-theft survey. An alarm was generated at the central station and the central station did call the museum staff member who did respond in the night and found nothing wrong. As I recall, the central station thought that there was some sort of trouble on the phone line and when nothing was found, everyone made assumptions that this was the case. There was no further response to alarms and when the staff came in the next morning they found the theft. This case prompted me to make changes in what I do with regard to both alarm system design and staff training. And it resulted in changes to the Suggested Guidelines for Museum Security with regard to allowing Grade "C" digital dialers in museums. I still find that a vast number of museums--even major ones--still use easily defeated digital dialers which are considered to be "unprotected" by UL.
The lessons here are:
1. Do not use Grade C digital dialers. Use Grade AA line supervision for your phone line between your alarm system and the off site central station.
2. If you get an alarm or some trouble on the phone line and check it out only to find that nothing is wrong, do not assume that nothing is wrong. In this case, it was not just a cut and dried alarm. The central station described it as some sort of problem that they could not identify, perhaps a car had hit a phone pole or something. My advice is that if you can't identify the source of the alarm, bring in guards, expect to be hit that night, and alert the police to this fact so they can respond quickly if you call them. But don't make assumptions. In this case, when they saw that the museum was not going to take future alarms seriously and would make assumptions about their cause, they had all night to break in. And these guys were pros--probably the best I have seen. They were well equipped and very slick. It is important to note however that no matter how slick they were, when they actually tried to break in the buildings, they must have made enough noise and taken enough time that a guard would have been able to alert the police or scare them away.
I also still see many museums that make a decision not to provide 24 hour guards then make a decision to not spend the money for a high quality supervised phone line to the central station. You can't have it both ways. If you are not going to provide a guard and are going to rely on your alarm system, then you have an obligation to provide an alarm system that is as good as it needs to be.
I hope that this information is useful to you. The Headly-Whitney is a well managed institution that thought they were doing what they were supposed to be doing. They took the advice of the alarm company and, like many of my other clients, failed to realize exactly how good some crooks are. And this is the third lesson. Too often the alarm company will sell you a cheap digital dialer because they think this is within your budget and don't want you to go elsewhere when you shop for price. too often museums are guilty of buying the least expensive system instead of the one they need. After all, they say, the alarm company knows what they are doing. Don't count on it.
I hope that the authorities make an effort to ascertain exactly what these guys did to defeat the phone line because this information can be useful to all of us. If any of you are reading this, please ask them.
Steve Keller, CPP
Museum Security Consultant
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