Case Histories
Art Theft and the Case of the Stolen Turners by Call Number: N8795 .N35 2011The author, who was then Director of Programmes at the Tate Gallery in London, tells this complex, 8-year, cloak-and-dagger story which finally concluded in 2002 with the pictures returning to public display at the Tate.
Stealing Rembrandts by Call Number: N8795 .A46 2011Through thefts around the world, the authors track daring entries into and escapes from the world’s most renowned museums, and robbers who coolly walk off with multimillion dollar paintings
Master Thieves by Call Number: N8795.3.U6 K87 2015New York: PublicAffairs, [2015]. A definitive account of the Boston criminal underworld’s role in the infamous $500 million Gardner Museum art theft traces the contributions of master thief Louis Royce and gangster Ralph Rossetti while examining the FBI’s controversial announcement that they had identified the responsible parties.
Art Theft
A History of Loot and Stolen Art by Call Number: N8795 .L56 2014London: Unicorn Press, 2014. Illustrated history of art theft in the western world, dating from 720 BC to the present day.
Museum of the Missing by Call Number: N8795 .H68 2006Offering an introduction to the underworld of stolen art, this investigation reveals the little-known story of modern art theft and shows how the legitimate art market, with its hyped auctions and landmark sales, has ignited crimial interest in these high-end pieces. The photographs, illustrations, and case studies provide a behind-the-scenes account of major thefts during the past hundred years.
Lost Art by Call Number: N9145 .M86 2013London: Tate Publishing, 2013. Grouped into ten sections -- Discarded, Missing, rejected, Attacked, Destroyed, Erased, Ephemeral, Transient, Unrealised and Stolen -- this unique survey includes forty case studies looking at the stories behind lost works of art.
Crime and the Art Market by Call Number: N8795 .P79 2016ISBN: 1848221711London : Lund Humphries, 2016. Through interviews, new data and exclusive insight into cases, the book demonstrates the impact of criminal activity on the market and broader society, while exploring claims that changes in the market’s behavior are needed.
Organizations Fighting Art Theft
- Association for Research into Crimes Against Art (ARCA)Based in Italy but international in membership, this non-profit, think tank/research organization studies issues in art crime and cultural property protection, runs educational programs, and consults on art protection and recovery issues brought to them by police, governments, museums, places of worship, and other public institutions.
- The Art Loss RegisterA fee-based service for collectors to register their art, to report objects stolen, and to search the database for lost and stolen art works before purchases.
- ICOM Red ListsOriginated in 1997 as a list of African archeological items at risk of being stolen, the list has now expanded to include not only Africa but also Latin America, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Peru.
- International Foundation of Art Research (IFAR)A not-for-profit educational and research organization. A major component of their work concerns itself with art theft and ownership.
DVDs & Streaming Videos
To locate DVDs use the Library Catalog or browse the shelves in the library. Use the Guide to Streaming Videos to learn what is available at KU.
- Myths of Art Thefts and Art Theft InvestigationJohn Barelli, chief security officer at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and dispels the myths of the business of art theft and explores the realities of art theft. Barelli explains the process of an art theft investigation, using actual case studies and delves into world of museum security.
- StolenNew York, NY : Hart Sharp Entertainment, [2006]. The story of the largest art heist in modern history when thieves gained access to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990. 90 minutes. DVD.
- GSA Recovers Historic New Deal ArtA new documentary film showcasing GSA's work to recover lost and stolen Depression-era art.