http://museum-security.org/
securma@xs4all.nl
SITE MAP
February 22, 1999
CONTENTS:
- re: Cemetery thefts (John Finnegan)
- Dealers - who don`t deal - II (Jan Henriksen)
- Kosovo talks site houses looted art
- African artifact thefts (Jonathan Sazonoff)
- Art Law - Distance Learning - Foundation Certificate
- ART ATTACK (The Why Files: Can science help solve art crime?)
- Lost Raphael seized during Mafia 'sting' (Richard Owen reports on how a mission to unmask nuclear merchants yielded a Renaissance masterpiece )
- [Fire Safe Heritage]: Perth Amboy Fire
- RE: important elements of a good post order (Steve Keller)
- [Fire Safe Heritage]: Italian Castle Burns Again
- Slovenija's stolen art (Jonathan Sazonoff)
- "Protecfire Securitec Lebanon 99"
- Re: Post Orders (Ross Brand)
- Policy on Use of Grounds (Dave Mitchell)
- professional photography policy question (Larry Rankine)
- Reply Grounds Photography (Brent Snider)
- Post Orders aren't just for security officers (David Liston)
From: "John Finnegan" Sterlingart@email.msn.com
To: TonCremers@museum-security.org
Subject: Cemetery thefts
Being a resident of New Orleans and an art conservator and researcher, I am pleased that the authorities have apprehended "high profile dealers". It was long over due. The irony is that one of these dealers is old New Orleans money and quite honestly, didn't need the addition resources. What's worse is that this same dealer, named Peter Patout, is on the board of directors for the org. that is charged with preserving the grounds, "Save the Cemeteries". Much to my dismay I recently saw Mr. Patout on television in a grave yard swearing on his mother's grave he had nothing to do with this travesty even thought police have eye-witness accounts of Mr. Patout riding in the back of a truck pointing out the pieces he wanted for his clients in Los Angeles or otherwise. The other chap that was arrested was a slightly higher level junk dealer, sometime auctioneer named Aaron Jarabica. He has been very cooperative with local police ever since the FBI arrived to town and started discussing Interstate Commerce violations and theft of National Heritage properties. Our grave yards unlike so many others are Historic landmark and fall under National scrutiny. A reporter from the NY Times recent interviewed me and was surprised to learn that these sculpture villains were cutting down the objects in the cemeteries, placing them into trucks and trying to sell them to the dealers on Royal Street ( the main antiques center ). Most of dealers on Royal street had enough sense not purchase any although Mr. Patout business on located there. Quite honestly it even surprises me that any one would want to put cemetery sculpture in their homes. Its no different that collecting headstone!
John Finnegan
Sterlingart@msn.com
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 11:28:48 +0100
To: securma@xs4all.nl
From: "Jan Henriksen" janh@imv.uit.no
Subject: Dealers - who don`t deal - II
Dear Ton! I`ve tried them again, this time with cliff@avsupply.com as an adress. My mail went one week ago - no answer!
Hi Jan,
Thank you for this information. I will forward it to the list requesting if anybody knows this would-be 'dealer'.
Best regards,
Ton
(Information about this dealer was sent to the list a January 1999: From: Cliff cliff@avsupply.com Subject: www.avsupply.com Audio Video Supply is a full line wholesale CCTV distributor carrying lines such as Panasonic, Sony, Hitachi, Sanyo, Pelco, Vicon, Sensormatic, Computar, and many more. We offer free systems design, price quotes, installation and service. With over 30 years in the business we are your first line of defense. E-mail cliff@avsupply.com or call toll free 800 284-2288)
Kosovo talks site houses looted art
08:55 p.m Feb 18, 1999 Eastern LOS ANGELES, Feb 18 (Reuters) - The French palace at Rambouillet where the Kosovo peace talks are taking place houses works of art looted by the Nazis that France never returned to their owners or the owners' heirs, a Jewish group said on Thursday.
The World Jewish Congress, which has been leading a campaign to have the looted artworks returned by France, said those at the palace included a Louis XV sofa, an antique Persian carpet and a painting from the school of the 18th-century French painter Francois Boucher. ``Did Secretary of State Madeleine Albright sit on the ... Louis XV grand sofa that was looted during the war and never returned -- the one sculpted with daisies and leaves? If so, I am sure she would have been appalled,'' WJC Executive Director Elan Steinberg said. Steinberg said his group had discovered that the antiques and painting were in the palace by matching up various French government reports on about 2,000 artworks placed in French care after the war and never returned. The group previously charged that looted art could be found in the French presidential palace, the prime minister's residence and French embassies around the world, as well as on display in French museums. The 2,000 pieces are what is left of about 60,000 looted by the Nazis and returned by the Allies to France. About 45,000 have been returned and about 13,000 sold at auction. The others remain under French government custodianship. Of these works, a recent French government report said 181 had been earmarked by the Germans for a planned Hitler museum of art that was to have been built in Linz, Austria, another 175 had been acquired for leading Nazi officials, including Hermann Goering and Joachim von Ribbenthrop, and 212 had been ``bought'' by German museums.
Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited.
From: Jonathan Sazonoff saz@kwom.com
Subject: African artifact thefts
Dear Subscribers,
Mark Corcoran (Chief of Security, Western Reserve Historical Society) reminded the list of another theft of African ethnographic material that took place last year. To further refresh our memory (of these Great Lake Thefts) here is a related article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Cleveland Museum of Art reveals theft of Nigerian "crown'
http://www.cleveland.com/news/pdnews/frontpage/cart.html
Also, we refer the reader to two articles on the wider issue of African looting. There is a lot of ethnographic material floating about on the market with questionable provenience.
ICOM - Restitution
http://www.icom.nrm.se/restitution.html
Looters from hell
http://www.africalynx.com/icpubs/na/mar98/nacs0301.htm
Hope you find this information useful.
Saz Prod., Inc.
www.saztv.com
From: Antony F Anderson antonya@ANTONYA.ACE.CO.UK
Subject: Art Law - Distance Learning - Foundation Certificate
The Institute of Art and Law is instigating a distance-learning Foundation Certificate in Art Law for non-lawyers that will be of interest to museum managements. Summary below. See "Courses" on IAL Web Page at:
http://www.pipemedia.net/ial
e-mail: angela.spriggs@inst-art-and-law.co.uk
-----Summary-----
The Foundation Certificate in Art Law is designed for those with no legal qualifications who work or have an interest in the field of art and antiquities and who wish to gain knowledge of the law as it pertains to art transactions. It will not transform students into barristers or solicitors, but it will provide a firm grounding in art law and will allow participants to identify legal difficulties at a time when it is possible to forestall them. It consists of 10 modules covering the main areas of law pert Contact: Angela Spriggs at Institute of Art and Law e-mail: angela.spriggs@inst-art-and-law.co.uk
---------
Antony Anderson
antonya@antonya.ace.co.uk
antony.anderson@onyxnet.co.uk
http://www.pipemedia.net/ial
ART ATTACK
(The Why Files: http://whyfiles.news.wisc.edu/081art_sci/index.html)
Can science help solve art crime?
(There are 6 pages in this University of Wisconsin feature; twp pages are copied in this MSN e-mail).
18 FEB 1999. Purloined paintings recovered in Mexico. Quick police action, helped by sketches of the thieves, ensured the quick return of 12 stolen Rufino Tamayo canvases, intact, to the gallery in Mexico City. But the Jan. 28 robbery made The Why Files curious: How does science help to solve fraud -- the most popular category of art crime? Art fakery is a peculiar beast. Sometimes driven by pure greed. Sometimes it's driven by misplaced artistic admiration -- these thieves don't steal for profit, but because they covet art objects for their personal enjoyment. How long has this been going on? The following tidbits lead us to believe that art crime is one of the older professions. Ancient Romans adored ancient Greek art, and workshops in the imperial city were cranking out chariot-loads of reproductions. Some of this stuff was good. Thomas Hoving, former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, writes that "Today it's almost impossible to tell what's genuinely ancient Greek and what's Roman fakery." (See his engaging wrap-up of fraud through the ages in "False Impressions..." in the bibliography.) Art forgery had a rebirth during the Renaissance, which Hoving termed "a watershed for fakes." Now that ancient Rome was cool, Europeans were copying Romans, just as Romans once aped Greeks. The most popular forgeries included gems, coins and ancient inscriptions. It wasn't just art that got faked. The Shroud of Turin, considered by many the cloth that cloaked Christ's body after his crucifixion, was crafted in the 14th century, according to carbon-14 dating. Nonetheless, the faithful still venerate the shroud, arguing for its authenticity against the scientific evidence. Although their actions were not considered fraud, master painters during the Renaissance had a workshop system, and signed work by employees and apprentices. That practice spawned a whole industry that tries to confirm the actual authorship of many big-name artworks. In a specialty called document forgery, Mark Hofmann, a rare-documents dealer, made the Mormon Church squirm in the 1980s by threatening to expose damaging documents he'd "uncovered." The case ended in 1987, when Hofmann was convicted of forgery and two murders committed to conceal his crimes (see "Salamander:..." in the bibliography).
Shall we steal?
Ancient artifacts have been a magnet for forgers. And archeological sites have been a magnet for looters. Perhaps the largest art rip-offs in history occurred in the 1930s and 1940s, when Nazi Germany, and then the Soviet Union, systematically plundered art from their conquered lands. Much of this art remains stolen. On a slightly smaller scale, the 1990 theft of 13 paintings from the Gardner Museum in Boston, by thieves dressed as police officers, remains unsolved. In 1998, two convicts claimed they could produce the booty, valued at $200 million. But they were apparently just con men trying to get themselves sprung from prison. So how much stolen or bogus art is really out there?
Stealing. Forging. Ain't it a wonderful art world?
How much art is stolen? There's no easy way to measure it, but the FBI says the "illicit trade in art and cultural artifacts has increased dramatically in recent years." (We asked the FBI to tell us how they investigate stolen art, but they couldn't be bothered to respond...). The Art Loss Register lists some stolen art. Who's doing all the stealing? Professional thieves frequently steal on assignment. But a surprising amount is done by collectors, connoisseurs and experts, many of whom are convinced they can adore work better than visitors to museums, galleries and churches. Not convinced? Art Crime (see bibliography), tells of Stephen Blumberg, "a specialist in the theft of books and manuscripts from libraries... also stole paintings, prints, stained glass windows, and antique furniture." The FBI searched Blumberg's house, and recovered $40 million worth of assorted bric-a-brac, including 21,000 rare books. Talk about using your specialty...
Can't steal just one
European churches display much more art than those in the United States, and that makes them more common targets for thieves. Nonetheless, Art Crime (p. 132) records this story of a worshipper who must have flunked the Sunday-school quiz on commandment 8: (Thou shalt not steal). "A man who stole three paintings from a Boston church said that while praying he had been overcome with an urge to take some of the beautiful objects in the sanctuary."
As with theft, there's no single measure of the total cost of art fakery and fraud. But Thomas Hoving says he looked at about 50,000 works of "art" during 16 years at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, and found 40 percent not what it was represented to be (see p. 17 of "False Impressions" in the bibliography). "The fact is that there are so many phonies and doctored pieces around these days that at times, I almost believe that there are as many bogus works as genuine ones." Arrayed against this motley crew of forgers and wanna-be Rembrandts is a small squad of experts who call themselves fakebusters. Some are technical whizzes in chemistry, art conservation or physics. Others are connoisseurs and museum directors like Hoving.
bibliography:
Art Crime, John Conklin, Praeger, 1994. Fake? The Art of Deception, Mark Jones, editor, University of California Press, 1990.
Fakebusters, Walter McCrone and Richard Weiss, eds., SPIE and McCrone Research Institute (Chicago), 1999.
False Impressions: The Hunt for Big-Time Art Fakes, Thomas Hoving, Simon & Schuster, 1996.
Gutenberg: The Master Printer, Mary Gekler, MG Publications, Oak Park, Illinois, 1991.
Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders, Linda Sillitoe and Allen Roberts, Signature Books, Salt Lake City, 1988.
(at http://whyfiles.news.wisc.edu/081art_sci/2.html you can find a listing of relevant WWW sites)
c1999, University of Wisconsin, Board of Regents.
Lost Raphael seized during Mafia 'sting'
(Richard Owen reports on how a mission to unmask nuclear merchants yielded a Renaissance masterpiece )
Times of London
THE Italian authorities will shortly decide the fate of a lost masterpiece attributed to Raphael and recovered from the Mafia during an undercover investigation into the smuggling of nuclear materials. Officials said there was growing evidence that organised crime was using stolen art treasures as security in underworld deals or as investments. "This could explain quite a few mysterious losses in the art world," one investigator said, including a Caravaggio masterpiece that disappeared from Palermo 30 years ago and has never been found. Italian intelligence agents involved in keeping track of nuclear smuggling in Russia, Eastern Europe, Iran and Libya say the Raphael, entitled The Madonna of the Hay, was offered to them by gangsters as part of a "sting" operation in which the agents posed as buyers of nuclear materials such as plutonium. The painting was last heard of in Germany in the 1920s. Its fate since then is unclear, but according to Aldo Anghessa, one of the Italian secret agents involved in the "sting", it had been in a Geneva bank vault. The painting was brought back to Italy, described as by a "minor artist of the Umbrian school" to avoid import tax. A trial of those involved in the deal recently ended in the conviction of two art dealers from Rome and a courier who brought the Renaissance painting from Switzerland. Maria Vittoria Marini-Clarelli, a fine-arts expert at the Ministry of Culture, confirmed that the painting had been confiscated. Signor Anghessa, 53, told Oggi magazine that a team of special agents had been tracking consignments of uranium, plutonium, caesium and scandium. "I cannot reveal too many details, but we were particularly interested in a factory outside St Petersburg," he said. The agents approached the smugglers, posing as interested buyers. "My job was to set up a bank account in Milan," Signor Anghessa said. "When the smugglers checked it and found I was solvent, they asked me if I would like to buy a painting by Raphael as well as nuclear materials. "I was astonished. They wanted £30 million - in cash. We set out to unmask the merchants of death and ended up being offered a missing masterpiece." The oil painting on panel, measuring 34in by 26in, is said to have been painted in Florence in 1506, when Raphael was 23. It depicts the Virgin Mary in a low-cut red dress holding the chubby infant Jesus in her arms. The boy holds a lamb under his right arm and feeds it hay with his left hand, while gazing back at his mother. In the 18th century the painting was recorded as the property of Count Monaldo Leopardi, father of the poet Giacomo Leopardi, who hung it in the family chapel at Recanati in the Marches. When Napoleon invaded the papal states in 1796, Count Leopardi, who was loyal to Pope Pius VI (1775-1799), had the Madonna carried in a procession to invoke God's help against the French. The Leopardi family was subsequently forced to sell it to pay its debts. In 1890 it was sold again at auction and went to Germany, where it was seen in 1926 by Oscar Fischel, a noted Raphael expert. It was never heard of again. Federico Zeri, Italy's leading art historian, saw the newly recovered Madonna of the Hay shortly before his death last year, and said he had little doubt that it bore "all the hallmarks" of Raphael's style between 1504 and 1508, when the artist was active in Florence. Born in 1483 in Urbino, Raphael transferred to Rome in 1508, decorating the Vatican apartments of Pope Julius II and the Villa Farnesina. Art experts are making extensive checks to ensure The Madonna of the Hay is not a pastiche or by his workshop pupils. But it bears a striking resemblance to Raphael's Madonna of the Meadow in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Madonna of the Goldfinch in the Uffizi, La Bella Giardiniera (La Belle Jardinière) in the Louvre in Paris, St Catherine of Alexandria in the National Gallery, and the Holy Family with a Lamb in the Prado in Madrid - although in that painting the Virgin (as John Pope-Hennessy observes in his classic study of Raphael) appears to be restraining the infant Jesus from embracing the lamb, a "symbol of His predestined fate". Signor Anghessa said he had been shown the painting in a hotel room - " I was overcome when I saw it" - and agreed to pay £15.5 million provided that the sale took place in Italy. The dealers were prosecuted for declaring the painting's value at £3,000 to avoid VAT, but the bigger fish were never caught.
Links :
http://www.uffizi.firenze.it/welcomeE.html- Website for the Uffizi Gallery in Florence
http://www.ocaiw.com/rafael.htm- Raphael images on the Net
From: Jack Sullivan jacksull@mindspring.com
Subject: [Fire Safe Heritage]: Perth Amboy Fire
Send reply to: firesafe-heritage@panther.middlebury.edu
Perth Amboy NJ -
(Newark Star-Ledger) Feb 18
Perth Amboy's oldest dwelling, constructed in the late 1720s, was heavily damaged and one of its occupants critically injured when a fire swept through the house. For more than 250 years, the Captain William Bryant House weathered powerful coastal storms that ravaged the Raritan Bay waterfront. While officials investigate the cause of the blaze, preservationists are rallying to save one of the city's few remaining pre-Revolutionary buildings from demolition. The Captain William Bryant House was named for a sea captain who was deeded the property in 1761 and lived there until his death in 1772.
From: IntlArtCop@aol.com
Date sent: Sat, 20 Feb 1999 00:04:24 EST
To: securma@xs4all.nl
Subject: Re: FEBRUARY 17, 1999
In a message dated 2/17/99 4:51:15 AM, Tanny Evans writes:
What are the important elements of a good post order?
I assume that you mean General Order or Policy when you say "post order" so I am addressing your question that way first.
Name of Order
Date or date of last revision
Purpose: "The purpose of this policy is to . . ."
General Information: Any background information on the subject necessary. Responsibility: Who is responsible for what.
Here is a VERY brief example (which lacks detail but gives you an idea of what is required)
Policy on Visitor Sign In
December 1, 1998 (rev. 2/19/99)
PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to establish a visitor sign-in policy for the museum and fix responsibility for its implementation.
GENERAL INFORMATION
"Visitor" for purposes of this policy refers to administrative visitors to the museum who enter non-public areas at any hour. It does not refer to members of the public who visit the galleries during open hours. All visitors will enter via the employee/administrative entrance. Administrative visitors cannot be accommodated at public entrances. RESPONSIBILITY
Upon arrival at the employee/administrative entrance, the Security Officer on duty will greet the visitor and ascertain who they want to visit. The Officer will call the person being visited and verify the appointment and request that the employee meet their visitor. The Officer will have the visitor sign in on a Visitor Sign-In Sheet. The sheet must be neatly printed and must include all information requested. The Officer will examine the information on the sheet and make sure that it accurately reflects the verbal request by the visitor. If the Visitor is authorized to enter, issue a Visitor badge and instruct the Visitor to wear the ID card visibly on an outer garment at all times when in the building and to turn it in at any exit post when departing. Ask the Visitor to wait for their host to come and escort them. It is the responsibility of the Shift Supervisor to inspect the Visitor Sign In Sheet at least twice daily to assure that the sheet is being properly completed and is legible. The Supervisor shall instruct the Officer whenever the Visitor Sign In Sheet is improperly completed to assure quality control. It is important to understand that the Visitor Sign In Sheet may become evidence in court and quality control is important. The Officer at the Employee/Administrative entrance shall assure that a supply of Visitor Sign In forms is maintained at the post at all times. Forms are to be stored in the second drawer of the Officer's podium. Check the inventory of forms at the beginning of the shift. Call the Security Department secretary when the supply of forms needs to be replaced. Don't wait until you run out of forms. It is the responsibility of the Security Department Secretary to inspect the supply of all forms used at the employee/administrative entrance and replenish the supply as required. This includes having more forms printed well in advance of need. When forms are requested, have them delivered as soon as practical. An inventory of all forms used by the department is maintained in the Security Office in the forms rack. Master camera ready copies of the form are on the computer in a "Forms" folder. Since Visitors must enter via the Employee/Administrative entrance but may leave via any public entrance if the building is open to the public, they will turn in Visitor ID Cards at various posts. The Officer who closes each post is responsible for delivering the ID cards returned to his post to the employee/administrative entrance at the end of the day so a supply of Visitor ID Cards is always available where needed. If a Visitor leaves the building by an entrance other than the Employee/Administrative entrance and turns in a Visitor pass, the Officer at that post will radio the Officer at the Employee/Administrative entrance and ask him to sign out the Visitor on the visitor sign in sheet. It is the responsibility of the Midnight Shift Supervisor to reconcile the Visitor Sign in Sheets for the day with the inventory of Visitor ID Cards. This is done on the midnight shift after all visitors are out of the building. Visitor ID Cards are numbered. Any card not accounted for was probably not turned in. Add this card number to the list of cards no longer in service. This list is maintained in the security control room on the computer in a folder named "Visitor ID Control".
See also: Security Department Definitions, ID Card Policy, Daily Color Codes, Forms Control Policy
-----------------
The above policy is just something I whipped off to give you an idea of what I recommend. Your policy will vary. I recommend that once you write all of your policies and procedures, you put them on your computer located in the security control room. Write them in hypertext, like a Web site, and at the end of each policy, add a "See also" section. The underlined policies above are representative of hyperlinks to those referenced policies so all the Officer has to do is click on the refrenced policy and he is taken to that policy automatically.
Keep a hard copy of the policy manual in case the power fails or computer crashes.
There may be other major elements to other types of policies but the ones I have included above pretty much cover every major type of policy you will run into.
If Tammy is actually referring to "Post" orders, i.e., what every Officer needs to know about any specific post, then that information is much more specific. I like to include the following: Name of post: "Post 1"
Map of post with area the Officer may patrol. (The implication being that if he patrols beyond the designated area he may be considered off his post and subject to discipline). Show all important features of the post on the map such as fire extinguishers, phones, rest rooms, fire exits, fire pull stations, etc. Primary Responsibility of Post (This is not always obvious to an Officer. For example, it may appear that the responsibility is simply to guard the collection when one major responsibility is to listen for an alarm on a fire exit door and respond or to remain close by to actually watch a fire exit door at all times.) Opening the Post: Special duties such as turning on lights, unlocking doors, checking fire exit doors to make sure they are not blocked before the public enters, inspecting the fire extinguisher, whatever. Closing the Post: often the reverse of the above. Special Duties of This Post: Example: "Check in on the Finance Office located within your post on an hourly basis". or "Pay special attention to the rest rooms as they are used by children". Other Post Information: Phone number, (whatever) Special Instructions: Pay special attention to the exterior door located in Gallery 3. No one is to use this door. This includes staff. If this door opens, a loud alarm will sound. Go immediately to the door and ascertain the problem. Hold the person using the door until a supervisor arrives unless the reason for the opening of the door is obvious due to an emergency situation. Notify Security Control immediately as you learn information. (Whatever.)
I hope this information is useful to all of you struggling with the project of writing orders. Remember that you need to state the policy but you do not need to use this policy as an all inclusive training tool. It is true that the policy manual becomes a primary training tool but you can still use your training program's written materials to fill in the gaps unanswered in your policy manual. The policy manual explains the policy and who is responsible for implementing it and to a degree how it is to be implemented, but the training material that accompanies the policy manual really explains how to fully implement the policy.
As usual, Tammy Evans is doing what many other museums think about but never get around to--writing a policy manual. Keep on asking those questions, Tammy, and keep up the good work and pretty soon the University of Georgia will be showing those big museums what to do.
Steve Keller, CPP
Security Consultant
From: Jack Sullivan jacksull@mindspring.com
Subject: [Fire Safe Heritage]: Italian Castle Burns Again
Reply-to: firesafe-heritage@panther.middlebury.edu
Saturday February 20 8:59 PM ET
Italian Castle Burns Again
CASERTA, Italy (AP) - A fire broke out Saturday night in the attic of the ornate 18th century Reggia palace, where a blaze burned three months ago, Italian news reports said. Firefighters quickly put out the latest fire in the palace, a popular monument known as the ``Versailles of Italy'' and no serious damage was reported. The palace lies surrounded by lovely gardens in Caserta, 20 miles north of the city of Naples. The cause of the latest blaze, apparently begun in a mattress, was under investigation. The fire in November was deliberately set, investigators recently concluded. World leaders met at the palace in 1994 for the Group of Seven economic summit.
From: Jonathan Sazonoff saz@kwom.com
Subject: Slovenija's stolen art
Dear Subscribers,
Another European country is now publishing stolen art on the web. Slovenija (the former Eastern half of Czechoslovakia) has posted stolen or missed works of art.
http://www.mnz.si/wee/ang/crime/stolen/art.html
Hope you find this information useful.
Saz Prod., Inc
www.saztv.com
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From: Ross Brand 387-2104 rbrand@rbml01.rbcm.gov.bc.ca
Subject: Re: Post Orders
Post Orders
The Royal British Columbia Museum's post orders are in a binder that is close to 3 inches thick. First is the Museum's Security Policy as written by the Security Committee and approved by the board. Then the Museum's Permanent or Standing Orders, which are written by the Facilities manager, to whom Security reports. Then come the Post Orders. They cover everything that is expected of our Security staff to enable them to carry out their duties. There is a full description of every item from Hours of Duty, to locations, reporting, patrols, keys, cleaning, emergency procedures (separate for each one ) Lost & found, parking, photography, etc. Some forty different items are covered. There is a foot print of every floor, copies of reports, call out lists, and so on .
I realize that is very brief but we are swapped right now with the Leonardo Exhibit. If you would like more detailed information let me know and I'll have our Chief of Security take care of you.
Ross Brand
Facilities Manager
Royal British Columbia Museum
250-387-2104
Museum-L
From: Dave Mitchell ellasharp@DMCI.NET
Subject: Policy on Use of Grounds
I have been asked to write a policy for use of the Museum's grounds by professional photographers. We are a very popular spot for senior pictures and have had some difficulties with clothes changing, blocking visitors etc. I am concerned that if I encourage the photographers to used the grounds after hours I am increasing our liability if an injury of some kind occurs. At the same time I dont want to discourage responsible use of the grounds since its good PR and forbidding the use would be bad PR and impossible to enforce.
Does anyone have any policies in place or advice in dealing with this?
thanks
Dave Mitchell
From: Larry Rankine lrankine@biltmore.com
To: "'securma@xs4all.nl'" securma@xs4all.nl
Subject: RE: FEBRUARY 22, 1999
Date sent: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 09:05:03 -0500 Regarding the professional photography policy question.
Here at Biltmore we don't "officially" permit wedding/prom photography on the grounds. Our policy is that professional photography must be approved by our Marketing/PR department and if any photography is permitted the photographer must be escorted by a member of our Marketing staff at all times. Not to long ago (2-3 years) we turned a blind eye toward things such as this. I'm speaking of wedding photography not other commercial forms of photography. However, as with a lot of things "when you give them an inch, they'll take a mile." We stopped this practice when a wedding photographer, when questioned by one of our Marketing staff, became belligerent insisting that he had permission when in reality he did not. He was shooting in front of Biltmore House and did I also mention that he was inconveniencing some of our guests with his wedding shots at the time? Since we charge a fee for entry to the estate we don't normally get involved with a group (normally a wedding group) who has purchased tickets and then takes some group photo's on the grounds. However, with professionals you certainly need to guard against them becoming to comfortable in doing this. Yes the PR is nice, however these folks tend to turn a privilege into a perceived "right" and when that happens your other guests may suffer. Your liability question is also valid. Anytime people are on your property you certainly assume some responsibility for their safety. I would recommend against any after hours usage of your grounds unless they are escorted by museum staff.
Larry Rankine
Security Supervisor
Biltmore Estate
Asheville, NC
(828)274-6270
Date sent: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 10:18:50 -0600
From: "Brent Snider" BSnider@ima-art.org
To: securma@xs4all.nl
Subject: FEBRUARY 22, 1999 -Reply Grounds Photography
In response to Dave Mitchell's inquiry concerning Grounds Photography, I feel it is important for such "professional" photography sessions to be planned and scheduled; asking for such consideration is a matter of professional courtesy.
You have numerous security issues to take into account. Is there accessioned artwork in the areas being photographed? If so, is there concern about weather an identified artifact wind-up in the next local liquor store or pawn shop commercial. What image does your facility wish to present to the visiting public?
Possible damage to the outdoor collection do to misuse of the grounds. If the photographers that use your grounds are willing to notify and schedule visits, their conduct can be monitored and supervised, leaving accountability placed squarely on the user(s).
Documented use of the grounds for professional photography is also vitally important. If grounds artifacts or gardens are damaged during a period of time, such use by any vendor can be tracked and investigated with very positive results.
At the IMA, we ask that all professional photographers report to our Marketing Director for permission to photograph (a phone call is appropriate). In turn, the Marketing Director will provide Protection Services with documentation which includes: 1) Name of Photographer. 2) Number in work party. 3) Date. 4) Time. 5) Artifacts to be photographed. 6) Reason for use of museum grounds or facilities.
We do not allow after-hours photography unless directly related to televised or printed media needs. The liability, workforce requirements, and jeopardy to the artwork are just to great to overcome.
If professional photographers wish to use your facilities, they should be willing to follow a few simple rules. I suggest the following:
1) No photography of accessioned artwork without an approved Photography pass signed by an appropriate management representative.
2) No photography on grounds after closing hours unless specifically approved for televised or print media purposes.
3) No touching of accessioned artwork or artifacts whatsoever while conducting photography sessions.
4) Photography will not impede or interfere with any of the following:
- Scheduled institution events.
- Traffic flow.
- Event set-up.
- General public access to any grounds attractions.
Photography will be allowed under the following conditions:
- Marketing / PR has approved request for grounds use.
- Photographer receives a photography pass with the appropriate authorization.
- Photographer manages and supervises the use of the museum property within the scope of above outlined parameters.
- Absolutely no after-hours use of grounds for photography purposes is authorized unless approved for televised / print media access.
Any failure to follow photography policy is grounds for photography priviledges to be revoked for a period of time established by the Director of Security.
If you wish, I can provide our written photography on grounds policy. The list above are general conditions which I have found to be most effective toward protecting the grounds, facility and artwork....I
hope it helps.
Brent C. Snider
Director, Protection Services
Indianapolis Museum of Art
Date sent: Mon, 22 Feb 1999 09:45:08 -0500
From: "David Liston" Listond@ic.si.edu
To: securma@xs4all.nl
Subject: Post Orders aren't just for security officers
Any cultural institution, with or without a dedicated security officer force, can improve their security using security "post orders" at key staff positions such as outside entrances and "secretary" type entry positions to non public or admin spaces. It is more often the case that everyday staff should consciously know and perform their "additional duties" for security. This may work effectively simply by posting these "post order" duties prominently under a plastic cover at that desk, for whoever is assigIn general, about post orders: * The shorter the post order, the more it should be read and understood. * Be specific but don't be obsolete. * Post orders can always fall into the "wrong" hands. David Liston
Here's security officer post order example from the 1993 book, "Museum Protection and Security--A Handbook for Cultural Heritage Institutions, ICMS, from Routledge, Barnes&Noble, and Amazon.com:
-- Example -- Cultural Institution Security Patrol or Post Order Instruction Every cultural institution security patrol or post order should be in writing so that managers and staff can easily agree and review what is checked and should be checked. This also reminds the security patrol officer to make every single check. [This instruction is written for anyone who performs the security function who is working a regular open day schedule of 10:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. in a small institution.]
1. Arrive at the institution for duty by 9:00 a.m. through the service or personnel door, turning off alarms, as necessary. Sign in, use a time clock, or call another staffer to indicate your arrival and time.
2. Be in appropriate clothes, capable, and ready for work. Meet the manager for special instructions and assignments by 9:15 a.m. or review instructions received from your last contact with your manager.
3. Check public and non public areas for ususual conditions, building problems or thefts. Turn on or off appropriate lights, ventilation, and heating or cooling as requested. Check public areas for cleanliness and readiness for the public, including safety. Re-set the alarm systems to day or open operation. Ensure that fire safety equipment is in place. Check communications systems.
4. Report difficulties and problems to a security specialist and the manager, and write them down as required. Determine if any problem areas need to be closed, checking with your manager when possible.
5. Unlock regular business doors as instructed, such as the loading dock service door and main entrance, promptly at 10:00 a.m.
6. Take responsiblity for the security, safety and satisfaction of those who come to the institution to work and to visit. Happily greet waiting visitors and begin patrols. Answer questions as best as you can, to represent the institution positively. Smile and help whenever possible.
7. Be persistent and faithful to check security consistently but irregularly. Make irregular walking patrols through all building, work and public areas, as assigned. Observe who others are and what they do. When something is not clear or appears strange to you, ask about it. Report strange or suspicious situations to a security specialist or the manager.
8. Make hourly visitor counts and record them as requested. Date the form, sign it, and turn it in daily.
9. Be familiar with all building rules and procedures and find where you can easily check what rules and procedures you cannot remember. Politely remind visitors and staff about those rules and procedures and any extra ones for security. Use tact and diplomacy.
10. Ensure that visitors remain in public areas and sign the entry and departure books as required.
11. Check and double check emergency procedures and equipment for fire and evacuation.
12. Personally ask or check everyone leaving. Require property passes or other authorizations for all items removed from the museum that are valuable. Be tactful in the approach and call the security specialist when a problem develops.
13.Always be businesslike.
14.Whenever the fire alarm starts, calmly evacuate the building while maintaining security at the same time. Check that the fire service received the alarm and maintain the position at the main entrance. Use the building fire fighting equipment to extinguish the fire when possible. Avoid being deceived by false emergencies to cover a theft.
15. When the museum receives a bomb threat, evacuate the building by the prescribed procedure and notify the police.
16. At 4:45 p.m. begin notifying the visitors of the museum's closing.
17. At 5:00 p.m. with all visitors out, lock and secure the main entrance doors and lock the power box at the loading dock.
18. Survey all exhibits and place lights in night set. 19. Place all alarms in service except the rear staff door and check work areas for plugged-in appliances or fire hazards. 20. Change from uniform to personal clothes and set the last alarm as one leaves through the staff door.
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