From msn-list at te.verweg.com Wed Jun 1 06:28:32 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Wed Jun 1 06:29:31 2005 Subject: [MSN] =?iso-8859-1?q?Namibia/Germany=3A_Ein_=2C=2CKuhhandel=22_a?= =?iso-8859-1?q?ls_Dankesch=F6n_/_victim_of_museum_theft_receives_a?= =?iso-8859-1?q?_cow_as_compensation?= Message-ID: <20050601042834.ESMX1736.amsfep13-int.chello.nl@cremers> Ein ,,Kuhhandel" als Dankesch?n June 1, 2005 Google translation: http://snipurl.com/fa5p von Doro Grebe Der Juni wird f?r Daniel wie Weihnachten sein. Denn Daniel Ndjombo aus dem Dorf Otumborombonga bekommt Mitte Juni ein Geschenk: ein lebendiges Rind. Sch?n f?r diesen Bauern, mag man denken, aber doch nichts Besonderes. Weit gefehlt. Unsere Geschichte beginnt eher traurig: mit einem Diebstahl. Daniel, der 75-j?hrige Bauer, hatte einst von seinem Gro?vater ein besonderes Feuerzeug geerbt: ein Schlagfeuerzeug, ein kleines Messingd?schen mit einem metallenen Schlagring an der Verschlusskappe. Schl?gt man mit diesem Ring auf den Deckel, lassen sich Funken entfachen. In dem D?schen selber befindet sich ein kleiner trockener Baumschwamm, der durch die Funken entfacht werden kann. Deutsche Siedler hatten diese St?cke Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts ins damalige S?dwestafrika gebracht und zu einem beliebten Handelsgut gemacht. Und so kam auch Daniels Gro?vater eines Tages an das begehrte St?ck - im Tausch gegen einen Ochsen. Zwar wurden die Schlagfeuerzeuge ?ber Generationen weiter vererbt, trotzdem gibt es heute nur noch wenige Exemplare. F?r die Ausstellung ,,Namibia - Deutschland: eine geteilte Geschichte", die in mehreren deutschen St?dten zu sehen war und ist, stellte Bauer Daniel dem v?lkerkundlichen K?lner Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum zur Freude von Direktor Klaus Schneider das seltene Exponat als Leihgabe zur Verf?gung. Doch die Freude war nur von kurzer Dauer: das gute St?ck wurde aus einer der Vitrinen gestohlen. Zwar starteten die Organisatoren der Ausstellung einen Hilferuf an Namibia-Freunde, doch niemand konnte das gestohlene oder aber ein ?hnliches St?ck auftreiben. Daniel Ndjombo wusste von alledem nichts - Telefon oder gar Internet gibt es in Otumborombonga nicht. Umso gr??er muss wohl seine ?berraschung gewesen sein, als der Museumsdirektor Schneider vor einigen Wochen in Otumborombonga erschien, um die traurige Nachricht zu ?berbringen und dem Bauern wenigstens pers?nlich einen finanziellen Ausgleich zu ?berbringen. Ein Dolmetscher erkl?rte ihm, was geschehen war. Daniel machte kehrt und verschwand in seiner H?tte - wortlos. Doch er kam zur?ck. In seiner Hand hatte er ein Feuerzeug, genauer, ein Schlagfeuerzeug ?hnlicher Art wie das gestohlene Exponat. Auch dieses hatte sein Gro?vater gegen ein Rind eingetauscht. Freiz?gig ?berreichte er es Schneider. Es stamme ja schlie?lich von einem Deutschen, also solle es auch wieder zur?ck nach Deutschland, erkl?rte er selbstlos und gab damit dem Titel der Ausstellung - eine geteilte Geschichte - eine ganz neue Dynamik, teilte er doch seinen Besitz und dessen Geschichte bereitwillig mit der deutschen Seite. In den Sand malte der 75-J?hrige vor dem Museumsdirektor einen Kreis, dieser, so erkl?rte er, werde nun wieder geschlossen. F?r Schneider ein Freudentag: Es sei ein gro?es Gl?ck, ein solch seltenes und ,,wichtiges Objekt namibisch-deutscher Geschichte als festen Bestandteil der Sammlung zu besitzen", zitiert der K?lner Stadtanzeiger den Direktor. Die Geschichte k?nnte hier zu Ende sein: das Museum hatte sein Exponat, Bauer Daniel vermisste es nicht und ging weiter seinem Tagwerk nach. Doch dann kam der passionierte Namibia-Fan und Hobby-Reisef?hrer Baldur Drobnica aus K?ln ins Spiel. Der pensionierte Beamte hatte im K?lner Stadtanzeiger den Artikel ?ber das wiedergekehrte Exponat gelesen und war ger?hrt von Daniels Verhalten. ,,Ich wollte diesen Kuhhandel aus dem Jahr 1905 r?ckg?ngig machen", sagte er jetzt zur AZ. Daniel Ndjombo sollte das bekommen, was ihm zustand: Ein Rind, den einstigen Gegenwert des Schlagfeuerzeuges. Auch Museumsdirektor Dr. Klaus Schneider war von dieser Idee restlos begeistert. Er gab den Auftrag, das Tier zu kaufen. Baldur Drobnica kommt in wenigen Tagen - mal wieder - nach Namibia, wo er nicht zuletzt durch sein Hobby, den Amateurfunk, viele Freunde hat. Am 16. Juni wird er dann auf der Farm Hassenpflug in der N?he von Otumborombonga und Okakarara Daniel ?berraschen und das Rind ?berreichen. Rund 100 Jahre, nachdem Daniels Gro?vater, bei einem Kuhhandel m?glicherweise ganz sch?n ?bers Ohr gehauen wurde, stellt jetzt also ein wahrer Kuhhandel die Gerechtigkeit wieder her. http://www.az.com.na/ Google translation: http://snipurl.com/fa5p _________________________ Museum Security Network http://www.museum-security.org/ toncremers@museum-security.org Archive Cultural Property Protection http://te.verweg.com/pipermail/cpprot/ Archive Museum Security Network http://te.verweg.com/pipermail/msn-list/ Dutch Masters in Australia http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/dutchmasters/ _________________________ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Wed Jun 1 06:39:11 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Wed Jun 1 06:46:46 2005 Subject: [MSN] Thieves steal artifacts from historic Indian museum site Message-ID: <20050601043916.DZL1724.amsfep14-int.chello.nl@cremers> May 31, 2005 Thieves steal artifacts from historic Indian site Thieves hit a Bland County tourist attraction over the holiday weekend. Someone broke into the museum of the Wolf Creek Indian Village early Sunday morning. The director says a window was cut and more than 2,500 artifacts stolen. 40,000 people visit the village each year. If you have any information or hear of someone who suddenly has a lot of Indian artifacts such as arrowheads, the Bland County Sheriff's Office would like to hear about it. http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=3413575&nav=S6aKaUnb From msn-list at te.verweg.com Wed Jun 1 13:09:25 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Wed Jun 1 13:10:37 2005 Subject: [MSN] Reward for Munch masterpiece recovery Message-ID: <20050601110928.WOTF4821.amsfep12-int.chello.nl@cremers> Reward for Munch masterpiece recovery The City of Oslo on Wednesday offered a NOK 2 million (USD 310,000) reward for assistance leading to the recovery of the stolen masterpieces "The Scream" and "Madonna" painted by Edvard Munch. The reward will be paid after the paintings have been recovered and verified as genuine. The news came from a press release by Oslo police, who took part in the decision to offer a reward. The paintings were stolen in an armed robbery on August 22, 2004, in a shocking raid that forced Norwegian museums and authorities to reconsider security levels and precautions. From msn-list at te.verweg.com Thu Jun 2 06:55:50 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Thu Jun 2 07:03:25 2005 Subject: [MSN] Vandalism threatens to shut down Bryant library Message-ID: <20050602045552.JHBO6651.amsfep15-int.chello.nl@cremers> Vandalism threatens to shut down Bryant library By Mike Dougherty Courier Staff Wednesday, June 1, 2005 2:00 PM CDT Police response to vandalism at the Bryant library led to a heated exchange Tuesday between George D. "Bucky" Ellis, chairman of the Saline County Library Board, Bryant Police Chief Frank Gonzales and Bryant police Detective Todd Crowson. Tempers cooled eventually at the called board meeting at Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library in Benton, but not before Ellis warned Gonzales that if the board was forced to close the library because of continued damage to the three-year-old structure, "I'm placing it at your feet. It'll be on your watch." At least two teenage boys vandalized the Bryant facility at 201 Prickett Drive overnight Friday. The vandals destroyed eight ground-level lights and fixtures, slashed outdoor banners, tore out four outside security cameras, dismantled and broke benches, turned over planters and ripped up plants and destroyed from a garden done for the library by Scout Geoffrey Edwards as an Eagle award project three years ago. Julie C. Hart, Saline County Library executive director, said a circulation clerk opening the library Saturday morning notified Bryant police. Hart said she called Middlebrooks Electric Data/Com, which provided a technician who did immediate repairs to put cameras back on line and downloaded the images that were available on the current system that may help identify the boys who committed the vandalism. The board voted Tuesday to offer a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the people responsible for the vandalism. Board members also voted to accept a bid by Middlebrooks to replace the black-and-white video cameras with color cameras outside, two color "dome" cameras inside and a digital recorder system that can provide video images that might better identify suspects in the future. The bid was for $6,540. Hart said the video technician sent by Middlebrooks said the current system could only provide still-video "captures" from the cameras. The board also instructed Hart to arrange with Entergy (formerly Arkansas Power & Light) to install as many mercury vapor lights as were needed to provide better security. She said the cost quoted to her by Entergy officials was $7 per month for each light installed on an existing pole and $11 per month for each light for which the utility company had to erect a pole. Bryant's library was vandalized in January when teenagers set fire to men's "pornographic" magazines in the entryway to the building. Hart said the facility has been plagued by vandalism since it opened in 2002. Ellis, a Benton attorney who has served on the library board for a number of years, at one point Tuesday told Gonzales that he wanted "someone arrested, tried as an adult and taken away in handcuffs to the penitentiary." The chief tried to explain that a decision to try a juvenile as an adult was made by a judge. Ellis replied: "I've been doing this 32 years, sir. I know how it works." When Gonzales first tried to say that the crimes were misdemeanors, Ellis disagreed, noting the amount of damage that had been done. Hart said the damage totaled at least $4,000, excluding the benches and plants. After the exchange between Ellis and Gonzales, Linda Edwards reminded participants at the meeting that they were there to determine what, if anything, could be done to prevent the vandalism from occurring again. Crowson, the Bryant police detective, said he is devoting 100 percent of his work time the library vandalism case. "I know the library board and staff are frustrated," Crowson said. "But I am doing everything I can to determine who committed the vandalism. We want justice for the vandals who did this to the library as much as the library staff and board do. "We have ruled out the initial suspect that library staff members believed was involved. He was not in Bryant on Friday night. "I just finished talking to the prosecutor's office. We're looking on where to go with the investigation." Crowson said anyone with information about the vandalism to the Bryant library may call him at 847-0211 or leave information on the tip line, an option offered by the voice message system at that number. From msn-list at te.verweg.com Thu Jun 2 07:00:04 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Thu Jun 2 07:03:25 2005 Subject: [MSN] New accusations hit indicted ex-library official Message-ID: <20050602050006.MGTK4821.amsfep12-int.chello.nl@cremers> New accusations hit indicted ex-library official June 2, 2005 Wilson's attorney cites statements by federal witnesses, demands more details. Larry Peterson 912.652.0367 larry.peterson@savannahnow.com Witnesses have said an indicted ex-library official raided library bank accounts, stole construction materials, took kickbacks from library employees and had them work on his house. A lawyer for David C. Wilson cited those and other allegations in a formal request that the government spell out in greater detail the charges against his client. Wilson, former director of the Eastman-based Ocmulgee Regional Library, was indicted in March by the federal grand jury in Savannah on five counts of theft and one of witness tampering. Though sketchy, the accusations cited in the request may fill in some blanks in the government's case against the man who once was the state's highest-paid public library official. One of the theft counts involves a $6,199 lawn mower, but the other four are unspecified, saying only that Wilson took more than $5,000 during each of four, one year periods. His attorney, Page Pate, said witnesses have made claims about bank accounts, construction materials, kickbacks and library employees. These statements are part of what prosecutors have turned over to the defense. Because the four theft counts lack details, Pate said, Wilson doesn't know which of the allegations in the papers - nearly 2,000 pages in all - are the basis for the charges. And without more details, his client can't prepare an adequate defense, Pate said in his formal request. "Wilson simply wants to know what he is charged with taking, when he is supposed to have taken it and the amount of money he allegedly took," the attorney added. In an interview, Pate called the accusations in the government documents "vague and general." He declined to provide any further details. Edmund A. Booth Jr., first assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, also declined to elaborate. Nor would Booth say whether any of the allegations Page cited from the papers will be used to flesh out the four theft counts. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Newman will respond to Pate's request "at some point," adding that, "beyond that, we don't have anything to say yet." Booth has not ruled out the possibility that other charges might be filed. Witnesses to the grand jury - mostly library officials and trustees for the Ocmulgee Regional Libraries and other libraries affiliated with Ocmulgee - say prosecutors have expressed interest in: A $100,000 grant for a bookmobile Ocmulgee never bought. $75,000 from a library history project grant unaccounted for. Wilson's use of state-funded computers, some of which he allegedly loaned or gave to associates for their private use. How Wilson obtained raises that boosted his yearly pay to $143,350. Last week, prosecutors submitted a disclosure of "other crimes, wrongs or acts" by Wilson that was filed under seal at the request of the government. Booth said the filing doesn't necessarily mean additional charges are being filed. Instead, he said, the disclosures may be used to support the charges already filed. The witness-tampering charge says Wilson pressured Ricky Snelgrove, who did work for the library, to withhold information from the grand jury. The former library director also allegedly told Snelgrove not to tell the panel Wilson had demanded that Snelgrove give back a "substantial portion" of his Ocmulgee paychecks. The demand was intended to "prevent or influence" Snelgrove's testimony, the indictment said. The indictments followed a federal and state investigation that surfaced last May, when agents seized computers, budget files, check stubs and other records at a library in Eastman. Among the records seized, said Ocmulgee attorney John Harrington, were the director's travel expense records. Wilson retired less than a week later. Free without bail pending a trial that is yet to be scheduled, Wilson is drawing a state pension that probably exceeds $7,000 a month. "Based on what I know now," Pate said, "I think we will have a very strong case. I expect Mr. Wilson to be acquitted." From msn-list at te.verweg.com Fri Jun 3 13:31:02 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Fri Jun 3 13:41:02 2005 Subject: [MSN] =?iso-8859-1?q?Trece_obras_han_robado_del_Museo_de_Ciudad_?= =?iso-8859-1?q?Bol=EDvar_?= Message-ID: <20050603113105.OKQH1724.amsfep14-int.chello.nl@cremers> Trece obras han robado del Museo de Ciudad Bol?var Por: Corresponsalia Ciudad Bolivar 02 de Junio de 2005 Un total de trece obras de arte han sido robadas en menos de tres meses del Museo de Arte de Ciudad Bol?var, mejor conocido como Museo del Correo del Orinoco. Marlene Wulff de Aguirre, directora de la instituci?n muse?stica, cont? que el ?ltimo hurto se registr? durante la madrugada del lunes, cuando antisociales cargaron con tres pinturas sobre ?leos que se encontraban exhibidas en una de las salas de exposici?n. Explic? que el modo de operar de los antisociales en las diferentes oportunidades que han ingresado al sal?n de arte es b?sicamente el mismo, ?usan como escalera una ventana que da hacia la calle Carabobo y suben hasta el techo para lograr ingresar a la casa por el patio interno?, asegur?. Las p?rdidas econ?mica que representan los m?ltiples robos no fueron cuantificadas por Wulff, quien asegur? que cada una de las obras extra?das forman parte de una importante colecci?n de artistas pl?sticos venezolanos, muchos de ellos fallecidos. ?ltimo hurto Trabajadores de la Casa Correo del Orinoco contaron que el pasado lunes se incorporaron a sus puestos de trabajo como todas las semanas; sin embrago el d?a inici? mostrando cierta peculiaridad desde que abrieron la puerta principal de la instituci?n. Observaron que algunos objetos se encontraban fuera de sus lugares habituales, pero lo que llam? a?n m?s la atenci?n fue la puerta de la primera sala expositiva que se encontraba semi abierta. Empleados aseguraron que al observar las irregularidades nunca dudaron que se trataba de otro robo, ?durante el ?ltimo mes hemos sido visitados por los ladrones todos los fines de semana, cada lunes que llegamos nos percatamos que falta alguna obra?, asegur? una trabajadora. En esta oportunidad los maleantes cargaron con las muestras Cachamay, de Ignacio Beaperthuy De Nu?es; Lores, de Feliciano Carvallo y Ma?ana en La Urbina, de Ra?l Molero. Wulff asegura que los responsables de los robos conocen de arte, ya que cada una de las piezas robadas han sido meticulosamente seleccionadas, ?la primera vez que se llevaron seis obras los ladrones trabajaron con una gran delicadeza para sacar las pinturas de los marcos sin da?arlas, adem?s que el tipo de obra que est?n siendo robadas son parte de una selectiva colecci?n?, asegur?. La directora del Museo de Ciudad Bol?var no descarta que los responsables formen parte de un grupo de ladrones de obras de arte a nivel internacional, ?es muy probable que las obras ya se encuentren fuera del pa?s, porque en Venezuela el mercado de compra y venta de arte no es muy amplio?. Trabajadores de la instituci?n manifestaron considerar que se trata de un grupo dedicado al robo de arte, el cual est? haciendo contrataci?n de j?venes delincuentes de la ciudad, ?porque no s?lo se llevan las obras, la ?ltima vez se llevaron la escoba, el envase para la limpieza, tazas para el caf? y una cantidad de objetos de uso de los trabajadores?, aseguraron. Indolencia Al consultar a Wulff sobre la actuaci?n de los cuerpos de seguridad en torno a la cadena de robos registrados, manifest? que el Cuerpo de Investigaciones Cient?ficas, Penales y Criminal?sticas de Ciudad Bol?var se present? cuando robaron las primeras seis obras en el mes de marzo, ?pero los hemos vuelto a llamar con los otros robos y no vienen, el lunes se present? s?lo un funcionario de Ipol Bol?var. Trabajadores de la instituci?n denunciaron el poco inter?s manifestado por parte de los investigadores para resolver los robos ?porque pruebas hay de sobra, inclusive en una oportunidad los ladrones dejaron olvidado un juego de llaves que ten?a el control remoto de una puerta?. El Museo de Ciudad Bol?var o Casa Correo del Orinoco como es mejor conocido, s?lo cuenta con un sistema de seguridad por c?mara, el cual no est? en funcionamiento porque los cables fueron cortados por los ladrones en una de sus tantas incursiones. Wulff asegur? que la instituci?n no cuenta con recursos para cancelar los honorarios de un vigilante privado, ya que cada una de las obras pertenecen a una asociaci?n civil sin fines de lucro. Explic? que han solicitado el apoyo gubernamental para obtener vigilancia nocturna, sin embargo nunca han sido tomados en cuenta, aun cuando el Museo de Ciudad Bol?var forma parte del patrimonio cultural e hist?rico del estado. Es necesario recordar que ese espacio dedicado hoy d?a a la difusi?n cultural fue construido en el a?o 1800 y en sus recintos se imprimi? el primer ejemplar del peri?dico ?Correo del Orinoco? el 27 de junio de 1818. Las p?rdidas registradas por los m?ltiples robos son incalculables para los trabajadores de la edificaci?n muse?stica, quienes aseguran haber entregado su vida a ese espacio dedicado a impartir educaci?n y recreaci?n a todos sus visitantes. Respuesta En horas de la tarde de ayer, antes del cierre de esta edici?n, se conoci? que el presidente del Instituto Aut?nomo de la Polic?a de Bol?var gir? la orden de apostar dos efectivos en las instalaciones del Museo de Ciudad Bol?var, donde permanecer?n brindando resguardo durante todo el d?a y la noche. http://www.nuevaprensa.com.ve/ver_art.php?cod=16381 From msn-list at te.verweg.com Sat Jun 4 10:15:25 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sat Jun 4 10:15:33 2005 Subject: [MSN] Urugay: =?iso-8859-1?q?Preocupaci=F3n_por_el_robo_de_tres_Figari_?= =?iso-8859-1?q?en_San_Jos=E9?= Message-ID: <42A1631D.5080803@bruggemansolutions.com> Preocupaci?n por el robo de tres Figari en San Jos? La comisi?n del patrimonio cultural de la naci?n se mostr? preocupada por el robo de tres obras del reconocido artista uruguayo Pedro Figari en las ?ltimas horas. El presidente de la comisi?n afirm? que en los museos de nuestro pa?s no existe seguridad, ya que se considera que esas piezas no podr?n ser vendidas f?cilmente. Los tres cuadros fueron robados del museo de San Jos? y est?n avaluados cada uno en m?s de 50.000 d?lares. En menos de cuatro horas el comando de la Jefatura de Polic?a de San Jos? identific? a los delincuentes y los detuvo, adem?s de recuperar las obras. "En el interior es f?cil y ac? tambi?n, porque en general como todos estamos con la idea de que nadie los va a robar, no est?n puestos ni con cabos especiales y generalmente puede venir alguien y rob?rselo. Los polic?as que est?n en los museos no existen, est?n tomando mate o charlando, porque es un lugar que todos se conocen, entonces no es tan f?cil. En adelante van a tener que empezar a dejar el mate un rato y mirar un poco m?s", Jorge de Arteaga. M?s seguridad para el Museo de San Jos? El Museo Departamental de San Jos? reforzar? su vigilancia tras el robo de tres obras del pintor Pedro Figari en la madrugada del jueves. En la noche del jueves fueron recuperadas en el barrio Cuarenta Semanas las tres obras del pintor uruguayo Figari que hab?an sido robadas en la madrugada del mismo d?a. Las obras est?n valuadas en 135 mil d?lares, aproximadamente. Fuentes oficiales de la Jefatura de Polic?a de San Jos? informaron a ?ndice 810 que las autoridades del Museo solicitaron a la Jefatura el servicio 222. http://www.espectador.com/ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Sat Jun 4 13:30:04 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sat Jun 4 13:32:35 2005 Subject: [MSN] A bust of Buddha today triggered speculation that it was the one that had been stolen from the Indian Museum on December 29 last year Message-ID: <20050604113006.PADW3274.amsfep20-int.chello.nl@cremers> RESCUE OF THE BUDDHA June 3, 2005 Mystery over true identity Express News Service Kolkata, June 3: A bust of Buddha - bearing an inscription claiming it belonged to 5th Century, AD - today triggered speculation that it was the one that had been stolen from the Indian Museum on December 29 last year. The bust was recovered in a police raid at the residence of a travel agent in North 24-Parganas. However, after the first round of examination, experts ruled out the possibility of the bust being the one that had been stolen fro the museum as it was not made of the same sandstone. But they will examine the recovered piece again tomorrow. The travel agent from whose Belghoria residence police seized the bust today said during interrogation that it had been gifted to him by a Thai national last year. The agent claimed that the Thai national was an art student who used to frequent the Indian Museum. Addressing the media, deputy commissioner (Central) Ajay Kumar said: "We recovered a Buddha bust today from the residence of one person in Belghoria in North 24-Parganas district." He, however, refused to divulge any details of the person from whose residence the Buddha bust was seized. The inscription at its bottom reads: "5th Century AD, Saranath, UP, Indian Museum, Calcutta". The bust bears a striking resemblance to the sandstone piece that was stolen from the archaeology section of the Indian Museum on December 29. "Indian Museum sells replicas of many statutes and busts. We did not, however, have any replica of the Buddha bust which was stolen last year. The nose of the stolen bust was broken. But the nose of the one seized today is alright. The seized bust will be brought to the museum tomorrow and our experts will examine it. An first appearance, the seized bust seems to be a fake," said director of Indian Museum S.K. Basu. From msn-list at te.verweg.com Sat Jun 4 13:30:04 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sat Jun 4 13:32:36 2005 Subject: [MSN] USA: Indian museum burglarized Message-ID: <20050604113011.PAFN3274.amsfep20-int.chello.nl@cremers> Friday, June 03, 2005 Indian museum burglarized An estimated 2,500 artifacts on display at the Wolf Creek Indian Museum in Bland County were stolen in a break-in that apparently happened early Sunday morning. About half of the museum's collection was taken, Linda Bradshaw, museum executive director, said Thursday. "We don't know what kind of people would do this," Bradshaw said. "We're devastated that someone would come in here and do what they have done." The county sheriff's office and state police are investigating. The museum is near Bastian, close to where construction on what is now Interstate 77 uncovered remnants of a prehistoric American Indian village, which led to the museum's being built. Arrowheads, spear points, axes and stone pipes were among the items stolen, many from the original site. Many of the other items were on loan to the museum, Bradshaw said. It would be hard to put a monetary value on what was taken, she said. More than a dozen display cases, more than half of those in the museum, were smashed open. The thief or thieves disconnected the power at the top of the building and made a hole in a window to get inside. An inventory is under way, but Bradshaw said the thieves apparently never got to the pottery. In fact, the museum is back open, cleaned up and back in business with school groups and other visitors, she said. From msn-list at te.verweg.com Sat Jun 4 13:36:52 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sat Jun 4 13:36:57 2005 Subject: [MSN] =?iso-8859-1?q?Espa=F1a=3A_Roban_im=E1genes_y_piezas_relig?= =?iso-8859-1?q?iosas_de_las_iglesias_de_Valderrueda_y_Villanueva_de_Zamaj?= =?iso-8859-1?q?=F3n?= Message-ID: <42A19254.9090000@bruggemansolutions.com> Roban im?genes y piezas religiosas de las iglesias de Valderrueda y Villanueva de Zamaj?n (Soria) Autores desconocidos se apoderaron entre los d?as 2 y 3 de junio de diversas piezas religiosas e im?genes de la iglesia Nuestra Se?ora de la Asunci?n de la localidad soriana de Valderrueda, seg?n los datos facilitados a Europa Press por fuentes de la Guardia Civil. Las piezas que han desaparecido del templo, al que los ladrones accedieron tras forzar la puerta, son una talla de San Juan, del siglo XVIII; un Cristo en la Cruz, del siglo XVIII; San Gervasio y San Protasio, del siglo XVIII; dos columnas del retablo de estos santos, de la misma ?poca; la Virgen de la Asunci?n, del siglo XVIII; Santa Catalina, del siglo XVIII, un sill?n giratorio recientemente restaurado y dos portapaces de bronce. Todo ello, seg?n consta en denuncia formulada por el p?rroco de la localidad en el Puesto de la Guardia Civil de Berlanga de Duero. Se da la circunstancia que el pasado d?a 1 de junio tambi?n fue presentada otra denuncia por la sustracci?n de cuatro columnas corintias acanaladas de la madera policromada del siglo XVII, as? como de dos aletones de madera dorada del siglo XVIII, que formaban parte del retablo dedicado a la Inmaculada Concepci?n, de la iglesia de la misma advocaci?n de la localidad de Villanueva de Zamaj?n. La acci?n delictiva, seg?n el denunciante, pudo llevarse a cabo entre los d?as 21 y 28 del pasado mes de mayo. Esta misma iglesia ha sido objeto de robo en varias ocasiones, durante los a?os 1982 y 1995. http://www.europapress.es From msn-list at te.verweg.com Sat Jun 4 13:41:53 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sat Jun 4 13:41:56 2005 Subject: [MSN] El Salvador: Los 9 hurtos en Panchimalco Message-ID: <42A19381.5040507@bruggemansolutions.com> Los 9 hurtos en Panchimalco Nueve son las piezas sacras hurtadas de la iglesia colonial de Panchimalco. Las ?ltimas dos fueron sustra?das el mi?rcoles. El d?a mi?rcoles 1.? de junio fueron hurtadas dos piezas de imaginer?a sacra de la parroquia Santa Cruz de Roma, en Panchimalco, San Salvador. Ese mismo d?a, a las seis de la ma?ana, se dio aviso del faltante a la Polic?a del lugar, y esta se hizo presente hasta las nueve y media. La informaci?n que se manej? al principio por parte de la Direcci?n de Patrimonio Cultural de CONCULTURA era que se trataba de dos im?genes: una dedicada a San Emilio y la otra a la Virgen Mar?a. Pero, despu?s de una visita al lugar, se comprob? que las figuras extra?das del templo eran las de san Emilio y san Miguel Arc?ngel Intentamos hablar con el p?rroco del lugar sobre el saqueo de la ermita, pero se hallaba en un retiro espiritual. Lo sorprendente del caso es que con estas ya suman nueve las piezas que han sido robadas de la misma iglesia, algunas durante el conflicto armado salvadore?o. Seg?n Luis ?lvaro, sacrist?n de dicha parroquia, entre 2003 y 2004 se robaron la alcanc?a donde se depositan las limosnas, tres ?ni?os Dios?, una bandeja de plata y una corona de oro. ?No o? nada? Luis ?lvaro es sacrist?n desde hace cuatro meses, y desde entonces vive en las instalaciones parroquiales de Panchimalco. ?l asegura que durante la madrugada del robo no escuch? ruido alguno que le hiciera sospechar que estaban profanando el templo. La iglesia colinda con las instalaciones de un centro educativo. En medio de las dos estructuras est? la habitaci?n donde el sacrist?n duerme. ?Cuando uno se encierra, se oye todo lo que est? al lado de la escuela, pero no del de la iglesia. Por eso no o? nada?, se excusa. Al hacer un recorrido por el interior del templo, resaltan a la vista los nueve espacios donde antes estuvieron colocadas las im?genes que, con el pasar de los a?os, han ido siendo robadas. Seg?n una vendedora de frutas, que trabaja frente a la iglesia desde hace 15 a?os y que pidi? no ser identificada, el hurto de las piezas no deja de ser extra?o, ?porque la iglesia permanece cerrada todo el tiempo..., a menos que sea domingo?, expresa. De hecho, la puerta lateral, asegurada por dos maderos cruzados al centro y que solo puede ser abierta desde el interior del templo, da a la calle principal. ?Por ah? sacaron las piezas?, asegura ?lvaro. Cuando el sacrist?n se dispon?a a realizar el acostumbrado ornato del lugar, a las seis de la ma?ana, se percat? de que el p?rtico estaba abierto de par en par y que las dos im?genes ya no estaban. Incluso, las mismas escaleras, que en otras ocasiones han servido para engalanar a los santos y que yacen guardadas al interior del santuario, fueron encontradas junto a los altares vac?os donde las im?genes reposaban. Solo sospechas A?n no se tienen indiciosde qui?nes podr?an ser los saqueadores, pero no se descarta la posibilidad de que sean los mismos pobladores. Al menos esto es lo que afirma un agente policial, quien tambi?n pidi? conservar el anonimato ?por medidas de seguridad?: ?El robo tuvo que ser efectuado por personas cercanas a la iglesia, y a las cuales, de seguro, les pag? gente que conoce de arte para que sacaran las piezas?, elucubra. Las autoridades de CONCULTURA realizaron un inventario de las im?genes ayer mismo para luego presentar la denuncia formal de la desaparici?n de las piezas en los pr?ximos d?as ante la Polic?a Internacional (INTERPOL). Vale mencionar que, hasta la fecha, ninguna pieza robada de las iglesias coloniales salvadore?as ha sido recuperada. Mientras tanto, Santa Cruz de Roma tendr? que conformarse con las oraciones de sus fieles dirigidas a espacios vac?os. http://www.laprensagrafica.com From msn-list at te.verweg.com Sat Jun 4 13:49:07 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sat Jun 4 13:51:36 2005 Subject: [MSN] Unplugged alarm assists in library theft Message-ID: <20050604114909.UYPB6651.amsfep15-int.chello.nl@cremers> Unplugged alarm assists in library theft After a security malfunction frustrates staff at Midland branch, a man stacks DVDs and CDs hundreds high at home Saturday, June 04, 2005 ANNE SAKER The Oregonian The first time Binh Huu Hoang walked out of the Midland branch library with a DVD in his pocket he made a discovery. No alarm went off. Hoang had stumbled upon a weakness in the Multnomah County Library security system. At some branches, it isn't turned on. As the 19-year-old would later tell police, he couldn't resist going back for more. He went back so often that he had hundreds of DVDs and CDs stacked to the ceiling in the bedroom of his Northeast Portland home when Portland Police Officer Travis Fields came calling last December. Fields noticed Hoang on Dec. 14, when the off-duty police officer said he spotted the young man going from car to car in a Safeway parking lot, trying door handles. Fields, who had dropped by for milk, noted the young man's license plate, intending to check him out later that day when he went to work. When Fields ran the tag number, it led him to Hoang's address. "So I decide to go have a little chit-chat with him and tell him it's not too nice to break into people's cars," Fields said. He arrived at Northeast Everett Street and met Hoang, who at first denied being at the parking lot but then later offered to show the officer his "jiggle keys," or filed-down keys that thieves often use to get into cars. The jiggle keys were in Hoang's bedroom. Fields followed him there and discovered the cache of CDs and DVDs. Fields said he asked Hoang for an explanation. Hoang replied, "I checked those out of the library." Fields, suspicious, looked at a few of the titles. "So, you a big Sinatra fan?" Hoang at first insisted that he was, although he could not name a single hit by Ol' Blue Eyes. Then Fields said that Hoang acknowledged he had stolen the recordings from the Midland branch of the Multnomah County Library. In May, a Multnomah County grand jury indicted Hoang, a Vietnamese immigrant, on one count of first-degree theft. He is scheduled for a July 13 trial. Penny Hummel, the library's public relations manager, said Thursday that at some libraries, the monitors were disengaged because they were not operating properly. When they did, an alarm put library staff in the position of having to run down a thief. "In some places, we had them," Hummel said, "and they weren't working anyway, and it did create some issues for staff." But theft from the library, Hummel said, is "not that significant. It occurs, for sure. There's also plenty of people who check out books and forget to bring them back, and we have another way of dealing with that." The library system has about 35,000 CDs and DVDs. Hummel said she was surprised to learn that there had been a theft, because many DVDs are constantly on checkout. Fields said Hoang told him that one day, he accidentally took a DVD from the library and found that no alarm was triggered, so he took more CDs and DVDs. Fields then arrested Hoang. From msn-list at te.verweg.com Mon Jun 6 19:05:02 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Mon Jun 6 19:06:40 2005 Subject: [MSN] New Tech Protects Ancient Torahs Message-ID: <20050606170508.OAGS24432.amsfep19-int.chello.nl@cremers> New Tech Protects Ancient Torahs By Kevin Poulsen 02:00 AM Jun. 06, 2005 PT BURLINGAME, California -- In an empty chapel at Peninsula Temple Sholom south of San Francisco, James Carlson breathes a heavy sigh and searches his chain for the right key. In front of him is the sanctuary's Holy Ark, a cabinet found in every synagogue that houses and protects Judaism's most revered instruments of worship: the Torah scrolls, by tradition the word of God as received by Moses. This ark is wood, inlaid with a design of Hebrew letters arranged like a lamp's flame. It looks old, dignified -- except for a shiny deadbolt door lock so new you can almost smell the sawdust where the locksmith bored the hole. "There was no other way to deal with it," says Carlson, executive director of the temple. Until a week ago, the ark didn't have a lock, and the small chapel -- an annex to the synagogue's main sanctuary -- always remained open and available to worshipers. Then sometime between May 16th and May 21st, a thief entered the chapel and stole one of the two Torahs, leaving behind an empty scroll case and a baffled congregation. Now Temple Sholom is boosting security, which means more than adding locks. The synagogue is looking at two technologies that manage the tricky task of assigning unique serial numbers to Torahs without running afoul of strict Jewish laws keeping the scrolls ritually pure. Occupying a central role in Jewish worship, ritual Torahs don't just roll off the printing press like yesterday's newspaper. Under Judaic law, a new Torah must be meticulously copied from an existing scroll by a trained scribe, who pronounces each Hebrew letter aloud -- for accuracy -- before writing it on squares of animal skin. The pieces are later sewn together and reeled onto giant wooden rollers. The process takes a year, and a single letter broken or out of place renders a Torah unusable. Like many Torah scrolls in active service, the one stolen from Temple Sholom last month is an antique, and is believed to have been crafted in the Middle East several hundred years ago. The local police suspect an inside job, but they have no clues, and aren't sure where to look -- a scroll isn't a stolen car or a necklace, and it's probably not on its way to the Mexican border or the local pawn shop. "I've never seen an item like this taken in my 30 years here," says Sergeant Peter Tokarski of the Burlingame police department. For now, the department is checking with antiquities dealers and monitoring eBay. Carlson says he can't even form a theory as to why someone would swipe one of the scrolls. "We can't get the equation to work," he says. "Who's going to buy it? If you start backward from that, it's hard to figure out." But experts say Torahs are stolen more often than you'd think. Geoffrey Haber, rabbi at Temple Emanu-El, learned the hard way in 1998, when a burglar swiped two scrolls from his synagogue in Englewood, New Jersey. They were recovered by an NYPD Torah-theft task force in a sting operation after the thief, a maintenance man working in the neighborhood, tried to sell the scrolls to a New York rabbi, claiming they were part of an inheritance. "We were very blessed that our Torah scrolls were recovered," says Haber. "Oftentimes they are not, because there is an underworld, or a black market, in Torah scrolls." "It's so easy to steal a Torah from the synagogue," says Yitzchak Shteiner, a rabbi at Machon Ot, a Jerusalem-based non-profit Torah preservation center. "Nobody says when you enter a synagogue, 'What are you doing here?' You're praying there." In 1994, a New York burglar confessed to stealing scrolls from 10 synagogues and fencing them with a Chasidic silversmith in midtown Manhattan. With a fair market value of around $50,000 for a new scroll, $9,000 for a used one, Judaism's sacred text is in some ways a perfect underground commodity. Like precious metals, the scrolls have independent value that can be determined without evidence of their provenance -- an experienced appraiser can establish a Torah's age, learn something of its history and determine that it's kosher for ritual use by visual inspection. A Torah scroll is also universal: always written in Hebrew, it's accepted everywhere in the world Judaism is practiced. Thieves and their fences have been known to exploit this by shipping hot Torahs between the United States and Israel, or to eastern Europe, where they're sold to unsuspecting congregations of newly built synagogues, says Haber. But perhaps most attractive to a thief, and vexing to law enforcement, Torah scrolls are inherently anonymous. Jewish law dictates that not one character can be added to the 304,805 letters of the Torah's text. That means no "property of" stamps, no serial numbers, no visible identifying marks of any kind. The Burlingame Police Department circulated a bulletin to other law enforcement agencies listing their stolen Torah's vital statistics -- 40 pounds, 175 feet, 600 to 800 years old, "contains the five books of Moses" -- but nothing that would help a cop pick it out of a lineup. That anonymity spawned a biblical plague of Torah heists in the '70s and early '80s, when by some estimates thieves made off with 200 Torahs a year in the United States and Israel. If you include Long Island and northern New Jersey, the New York City area contains one third of the United States' 3,700 synagogues, and was at the center of the outbreak. "It was virtually an epidemic," says David Pollock, associate executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. Building a Safer Torah Pushed by the crime wave, in 1982 the Council responded with the first advance in Torah technology since the invention of parchment: a method of assigning Torahs globally unique identifiers without violating rabbinic law. Called the Universal Torah Registry, the system works like this: A synagogue mails in a form with their contact information and the number of Torahs they want to place in the system, and the registry sends back a computer-coded template for each scroll. The 3.5- by 8-inch template resembles an IBM punch card, with eight holes arranged so their position relative to one another describes a unique identification number in a proprietary code. A rabbi uses the template to perforate the coded pattern into the margins of the scroll with a tiny needle. To keep an enterprising thief from swapping the perforated segment with a section from another stolen scroll in some kind of twisted Torah chop shop, the registry recommends applying the code to 10 different segments of the scroll. Pollack says the code contains self-authentication features that keep a thief from invalidating it by just adding an extra hole in an arbitrary location. Now if a crook tries to sell the Torah, the pattern can be mapped back to the ID number, which is linked to the rightful owner in a database. "It makes it harder to fence," says Pollock. "If your car has a VIN number, it's harder to sell illegally." The system is legal under a rabbinical ruling issued in the 1980s that says it's kosher to make small perforations in a Torah. "Punctures are already used to sew different panels of the parchment together," explains Rabbi Haber, who entered his synagogue's 14 Torahs into the registry after the 1998 burglary. In all, the database now tracks 10,000 Torahs, mostly in the United States, and Pollock credits it with turning Torah theft into a relatively rare occurrence. "There are now only a couple thefts a year," says Pollock. But not everybody is a fan of the punch-scroll method, and Machon Ot runs a newer, competing registry that's capturing its share of the Torah registration market with an entirely passive system that generates a digital fingerprint of each scroll. Machon Ot's system, the International Torah Registry, takes advantage of the handcrafted nature of the Torahs. Though the content is always the same, the position of the lettering varies from scroll to scroll, making each Torah as individual as a halachic snowflake. By measuring the distances between letters at certain standardized points, and entering them into a computer program, Machon Ot generates a 20-digit number that uniquely identifies each Torah. The organization also has about 10,000 registered Torahs in its computer, about half in Israel and half in the United States, where the group sends experts several times a year to enter new scrolls into the system, and perform inspections and evaluations of Torahs. Both registries charge a fee. Machon Ot says its method is superior to its New York rival, because it leaves nothing for thieves to tamper with or try to remove. "If you can see the holes, everyone can see the holes," says Machon Ot rabbi Yitzchak Shteiner. "We are not doing anything inside the Torah scroll. Nothing with invisible ink, no dots, no holes, nothing." Pollock concedes that the Macon Ot system works, but he says its passivity is a drawback if you want to bring Torah thieves to justice. "Prosecutors told us they wanted to be able to easily convince a jury without the use of experts," says Pollock. With the perforation system, jurors can hold the template up to the light and see for themselves that it's a match for the holes in the Torah. "You can't do that with a passive system," he says. "You have to convince the jury that no two scribes write the Torah the same way." Peninsula Temple Sholom didn't use either system, but they probably will now. "We hadn't done that, and we'll start checking with the agencies that make the technology available for identification," says Rabbi Gerald Raiskin. Even then, they may find it's not enough. After his Torahs were recovered and registered, Rabbi Haber says he didn't feel safe until he'd added several layers of physical security at his synagogue. "There was a horrible sense of being violated," says Haber. The Holy Ark at Temple Emanu-El now boasts an interior steel compartment, with a deadbolt, a second key lock and an alarm pad, under the watchful eye of a video camera. "I think I lost a sense of naivet? and trust when the theft occurred, and that's reinforced for me when I open the ark now," said Haber. "That nothing is sacred. Literally." http://www.wired.com/ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Mon Jun 6 23:22:45 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Mon Jun 6 23:37:57 2005 Subject: [MSN] Museum Facilities and Risk Management Seminar Message-ID: <20050606212248.FNMJ20364.amsfep17-int.chello.nl@cremers> Museum Facilities and Risk Management Seminar June 24-25, 2005 - Pittsburgh, PA In collaboration with the Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada Hosted by the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center Learn how to: -Identify the greatest risks at your institution (they may not be what you think!) -Align your strategies with your museum's mission, values, and tolerance for risk -Integrate risk management into your institution's day-to-day work -Allocate your resources most effectively Register today http://www.aam-us.org/getinvolved/learn/upload/FACRISK05%20Registration%20Fo rm.pdf Hotel block extended to Friday, June 10th - There is still one fellowship for small museums to be awarded, apply now: http://www.aam-us.org/getinvolved/learn/upload/Fellowship%20Form_F&RM2005%20 Extended%20Deadline2.pdf From msn-list at te.verweg.com Tue Jun 7 06:39:09 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Tue Jun 7 06:39:48 2005 Subject: [MSN] Peru library closes briefly due to smoke Message-ID: <20050607043910.YUXQ11463.amsfep13-int.chello.nl@cremers> Peru library closes briefly due to smoke June 6, 2005 By Steve Depies perureporter@newstrib.com The Peru Public Library was closed for about an hour and a half Saturday afternoon after a smoky haze downstairs forced officials to call in the Peru fire department. "We don't know if a surge came through or what happened," Peru fire chief Gary Eccles said at the library on Saturday. Eccles said the storm that went through the Illinois Valley shortly before 1 p.m. Saturday caused several electrical problems in the area and the smoke at the library might have been among them. Library director Marydale Stewart said a blower motor had been burned out, but the haze was confined to the downstairs. She said this morning she was still uncertain as to the cause. Stewart said she reopened a portion of the library about an hour and a half after the power came back on. Outside of the motor, Stewart said she hadn't found any damage caused by the incident. From msn-list at te.verweg.com Wed Jun 8 03:29:01 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sat Jun 11 11:14:01 2005 Subject: [MSN] FBI finds majority of artifacts stolen in January from the Cabazon Cultural Museum in Indio In-Reply-To: <20050517175300.WDYU1769.amsfep14-int.chello.nl@cremers> Message-ID: Regarding this story, and the notice of a new theft of Indian artifacts from another museum: The FBI failed to mention in their newspaper report that the objects were reported to them by an astute person who recognized them from photos of stolen objects posted on the Antique Tribal Art Dealers website "Theft Alert" , www.atada.org. This valuable site posts, free of charge, photos and descriptions of any stolen antique tribal art, with case number and contact information. Anyone having lost tribal art in this manner is encouraged to use this free posting. This is but one instance of its success. Wide dissemination of photos of stolen objects are definite deterrents to reselling those objects, and have proven to aid in their recovery Ramona Morris On Tuesday, May 17, 2005, at 10:52 AM, msn-list@te.verweg.com wrote: > The moderator of the MSN-list disclaims responsibillity for the > contents of messages sent to the mailinglist. > . > > > FBI finds majority of artifacts > > staff reports > The Desert Sun > May 17, 2005 > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > ----- > ---- > The FBI has recovered 14 of the 17 valuable Native American artifacts > stolen > in January from the Cabazon Cultural Museum in Indio. > That because, according to Joseph Stuart, the FBI's senior resident > agent in > Palm Springs, "a concerned citizen was able to locate them and called > me and > we recovered them." > > Stuart said that no charges had been filed in connection with the > disappearance of the Native American baskets and pottery pieces worth > more > than $100,000 and the concerned citizen's identity is remaining > confidential. > > "We recovered everything Sunday," Stuart said in a telephone interview > Monday. > > "I still don't know who stole them. This is the recovery aspect of it, > not > the criminal charging of it." The pieces were recovered locally, Stuart > said, but did not specify an exact location. > > There's an ongoing investigation into who burglarized the museum early > on > the morning of Jan. 11, Stuart said. > > The back door of the museum was breached and the cases were broken. > > The intruders made off with pottery that is Hopi, Pueblo and Zuni in > origin > and all of the pieces are anywhere from 100 to 150 years old. > > The baskets and the pottery had been on display since the museum opened > nearly three years ago. > > All eight of the baskets stolen were Cahuilla and the Cabazons are > members > of the Cahuilla tribe. All but one of the baskets taken were on loan > from > the California State Resource Museum. > > The baskets are roughly from the same time period, between 1890 and > 1920 or > 1930. > > The baskets and the pottery had been on display since the museum opened > nearly three years ago. > > All but one of the baskets taken were on loan from the California State > Resource Museum. One was on loan from the Agua Caliente Band of > Cahuilla > Indians and the pottery was on loan from a private individual, Stuart > said. > > "They are irreplaceable," Sandy MacLeod, curator for the state museum > told > The Desert Sun in February. "They're one of a kind." > > Three pieces - two pieces of pottery and one basket belonging to the > state > of California Parks Department - are still missing. > > "That particular basket that we did not recover is a nontraditional > design," > Stuart said. "They call it a 'basketry bowl,' Cahuilla but > nontraditional." > > Two pottery pieces - both earthenware with no designs on them - are > still > missing as well. One is a three-legged bowl and the other is an > earthenware > vessel. > > "I notified the legal owners of all the property that we recovered and > they > are ecstatic. If you just lose money, you lose money. These are > irreplaceable and are cultural artifacts. When they learned that these > items > were recovered, they were very happy," Stuart said. > > "Not just the Agua Caliente but the Cabazon tribe because these things > were > all on loan." > > The FBI was involved in the investigation, Stuart said, because > "there's a > specific federal law that has to do with taking something from a > museum." > Items from a recognized museum, items worth a specific amount or items > of > cultural significance all fall under that law, he said. > > The U.S. Attorney's office and the Cabazon tribe requested that the > FBI get > involved, Stuart, who has been at the Palm Springs office since 1989, > said. > > archive of the list: > http://msn-list.te.verweg.com/ > . > From msn-list at te.verweg.com Thu Jun 9 23:06:07 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sat Jun 11 11:14:05 2005 Subject: [MSN] Director of Vienna Art Museum Called to Resign after Major Theft Message-ID: <135E00CE2A6DB34F8DDCB89C60B8B1A504A0F151@madex2.cygnuspub.com> Director of Vienna Art Museum Called to Resign after Major Theft Associated Press VIENNA, Austria (AP) - The embattled director of Vienna's Art History Museum has refused to resign, despite mounting calls for him to step down in the aftermath of a theft of a precious 16th century figurine valued at euro50 million (US$62.5 million). Read More: http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/article.jsp?id=4428&siteSection =334 From msn-list at te.verweg.com Sat Jun 11 02:57:03 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sat Jun 11 11:14:18 2005 Subject: [MSN] "Public Sculpture for New York: Italian Style".. Message-ID: <002001c56e20$7b91d1d0$b9d22644@DCY7MH71> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Geoffrey Claroni, Esq." To: "ClaroniGeoffrey" Sent: Friday, June 10, 2005 12:57 PM Subject: "Public Sculpture for New York: Italian Style".. > > "Public Sculpture for New York: Italian Style" > > > In New York, public sculpture is ubiquitous. Many are grandiose works of > art that serve as an example of the significant influence and contribution > of Italians to the building, shaping and enrichment of life in New York. > > As a service to the Italian American community, the John D. Calandra > Italian > American Institute provides a list of some of the more significant public > sculptures whose subjects or creators are famous Italians or Americans of > Italian descent. > > The list includes, the statues of Giovanni da Verrazzano, Cristoforo > Colombo, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Dante Alighieri, Giuseppe Mazzini, Antonio > Meucci, Giuseppe Verdi, Fiorello LaGuardia, as well as other monuments, > memorials, statuary, artwork, pediment sculpture, the work of the famous > Piccirilli brothers - and many more. > > "Public Sculpture for New York: Italian Style" lists the creator and year > of creation (when known), as well as the location for each public > sculpture. > To view this information - double click here > http://www.qc.edu/calandra/community (if this hyperlink does not connect > you directly - then go to the internet and type in this address) - scroll > down - double click on "Public Sculpture for New York: Italian Style." > > Create your own tour and enjoy these wonderful achievements and > contributions to our society. > > Buon divertimento!! > > > Geoffrey Claroni > Assistant Director for Community Programs > John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, Queens College/CUNY > > > > > "Public Sculpture for New York: Italian Style" > > www.qc.edu/calandra/community > > From msn-list at te.verweg.com Sat Jun 11 12:12:30 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sat Jun 11 12:42:07 2005 Subject: [MSN] Artists and galleries sue Momart for art destroyed in fire Message-ID: <20050611101232.QOSO24432.amsfep19-int.chello.nl@cremers> Artists and galleries sue Momart for art destroyed in fire By Arifa Akbar 11 June 2005 More than 40 artists, galleries and collectors have begun a legal battle against the storage company Momart over works destroyed in a warehouse fire in east London last year. The list of litigants includes some of the most powerful figures in the industry: the artists Damien Hirst and Gillian Ayres; the sculptor Barry Flanagan; five Royal Academy of Arts trustees, including the celebrated architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw; and a host of galleries. The musician Dave Stewart, the author Shirley Conran and two daughters of the late abstract artist Patrick Heron, are also among the claimants seeking compensation in the "many millions." The claims were lodged by Clyde and Co Solicitors with the High Court to recover damages for the lost artwork, which is believed to have been valued at a total of ?60m. The High Court confirmed that another firm, Charles Russell, was dealing with further claimants including the Saatchi and Saatchi Group and Warren and Victoria Miro (of the Victoria Miro Gallery). A number of other individual claims have also been lodged. Some of London's most prominent galleries such as the Waddington in Cork Street and Science Limited, which deals with Hirst's works, have joined forces, Clyde and Co said. The fire at the Cromwell industrial estate in Leyton, occurred in the early hours of 24 May last year, after burglars broke into an adjoining unit holding DVD players and fax machines. Clyde and Co's legal team claims the incident was a "disaster waiting to happen". Jonathan Wood, a partner at the firm, said it would argue that the premises were "wholly unsuitable" as a storage location for high-value fine art. "The premises were located among other units where there was a high risk of fire," he said. "The building itself was not constructed so as to prevent the rapid spread of fire; coupled with this was the inadequate security and fire detection provisions. Momart have consistently denied any responsibility for the loss, which has necessitated proceedings." The catalogue of lost art includes eight paintings owned by Ayres, and a further 12 Ayres works owned by Conran, nine Flanagan sculptures, 50 major works by Heron and 16 works by Hirst, as well as works he owned by artists including Angus Fairhurst, Gary Hume, Sarah Lucas and Michael Joo. The Waddington Galleries lost about 150 works by artists from Heron to Flanagan, including 20 of major significance. In a statement, Momart's board of directors said: "This fire was a tragedy for those of Momart's customers who were affected, and for Momart. However, it must be borne in mind that it was caused by arson in an adjacent warehouse. "Given that High Court proceedings have been commenced, it would not be appropriate for us to comment on the legal issues, but it should suffice to say that all claims against Momart will be defended vigorously." Tracey Emin, who was among the most high- profile artistic victims of the fire, whose destroyed work included her famous tent, Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963 - 1995, confirmed that she was not suing Momart. From msn-list at te.verweg.com Sun Jun 12 01:43:17 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sun Jun 12 08:55:44 2005 Subject: [MSN] Re: Nearly 19,000 items missing from county library Message-ID: <20050611234319.ZNIZ3736.amsfep15-int.chello.nl@cremers> -----Original Message----- From: exlibris@library.berkeley.edu [mailto:exlibris@library.berkeley.edu] On Behalf Of Michael Taylor Sent: 11 June 2005 20:39 To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [EXLIBRIS:30280] Re: Nearly 19,000 items missing from county library I live in Portland, OR and I can tell you that security is inconsistent in the various branches. Some put out CDs in their cases on the regular shelves, some leave the CDs in cases but have moved them to the front desk where someone can watch them (and they must be checked out as soon as they are taken and can't be carried around the library), other put only the jewel cases out and will retrieve the movie or music CD when the patron goes to the desk to check their items out. There are no gates in any library other than the central building in downtown (or if there are, I have not seen them). Our libraries do not ask that patrons check in packs or large bags before going into the library; all sorts of ill-gotten gain could be hidden in these packs and bags. You are also allowed to take books and other materials into the restrooms. Powells City of Books exercises more security. The teenager mentioned in the article didn't realize that the alarms were disabled until he took one CD away (conceivably by accident). Once he understood what the situation was, he went back again and again to steal. Not too bright, he was caught trying to break into parked cars. When he took the police back to his apartment to pick something up, they discovered the piles of CDs in his bedroom. A few were by Frank Sinatra. One officer asked the boy was a fan of old Blue Eyes. When the kid seemed uncomfortable and couldn't name any Sinatra songs, the jig was up and he spilled his guts. I hope the Multnomah County Library System moves quickly to fix the security problem. Now that the word is out, I anticipate many more thieves will see an opportunity to profit by the system's inattention. The scariest thing to me is that these missing items were only discovered because other patrons tried to reserve them. How many more books, DVDs, videotapes and CDs that don't have high turnover have gone missing? Michael Taylor Portland, Oregon From msn-list at te.verweg.com Sun Jun 12 10:17:47 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sun Jun 12 10:20:34 2005 Subject: [MSN] TERRORISM: Patriot Act debate sheds light on concerns over privacy at the library Message-ID: <20050612081749.EHYT24432.amsfep19-int.chello.nl@cremers> What cost to combat terrorism? TERRORISM: Patriot Act debate sheds light on concerns over privacy at the library BY BOB KASARDA bkasarda@nwitimes.com 219.462.5151 This story ran on nwitimes.com on Sunday, June 12, 2005 12:23 AM CDT VALPARAISO | Westchester Public Library Director Phil Baugher said he cannot reveal if federal investigators have requested information about patrons under the powers of the U.S. Patriot Act. Ana Grandfield, assistant director of the Lake County Public Library, is also remaining mum, as are all law-abiding library officials across the nation. The U.S. Patriot Act prohibits library officials from mentioning anything about these types of inquiries to patrons, library boards, local elected officials, members of Congress or anyone short of an attorney, said Patrice McDermott, deputy director of the Office of Government Relations for the American Library Association. The Chicago-based ALA, which is the oldest and largest library association in the world, is working to restore more checks and balances when this provision of the Patriot Act expires at the end of the year. "Libraries want to do our bit for the fight against terrorism, but want to do so within the Constitution," McDermott said. U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind., who along with Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., voted in favor of the Patriot Act just a month after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, has not yet decided whether he will again support the 14 provisions set to expire at the year's end, said his press secretary Andy Fisher. The senator is awaiting reports on whether the provisions have been useful or harmful, necessary or counterproductive, Fisher said. President Bush urged Congress this past week to make permanent the expiring provisions of the Patriot Act, dismissing accusations the law has violated civil liberties. McDermott said there are some good elements in the Patriot Act. What concerns her and the ALA is Section 215, which allows the FBI to meet behind closed doors with a special court and obtain orders to go anywhere and collect any tangible items without having to name the individual being investigated. These powers can be used not only to investigate a library patron's borrowing history or Internet use, she said, but also to obtain records from sites such as hospitals, bookstores and gun shops. While at least several of the larger library systems throughout the area do not retain lists of materials borrowed by patrons, Baugher said libraries can be ordered under the Patriot Act to track materials borrowed and e-mails sent or received on library computers. Before the Patriot Act, investigators were required to not only name the suspect, but also show there is reason to believe the person is a spy or terrorist, McDermott said. Proponents of the provision ask for evidence of abuse, but McDermott said that cannot be done because the information is off limits. She finds that troubling. "As long as an opportunity is there for government to overstep and overreach, at some point the temptation will become too great," she said. The ALA is seeking a change by backing the proposed Security and Freedom Enhancement Act in the Senate and the Security and Freedom Ensured Act in the House. The proposals would restore the FBI's obligation to be more specific as to who they are investigating and why, as well as which documents they seek, McDermott said. U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind., who opposed approval of the Patriot Act along with Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., is co-sponsoring the Freedom to Read Protection Act, which would exempt bookstores and libraries from the inquiries in question, said Justin Kitsch, Visclosky's director of communications. Lansing Public Library Executive Director William Babcock said he knows of a few patrons who are very concerned about the Patriot Act's impact on privacy. The library has posted signs near its online public access computers warning users that while the library does its best to protect the right to privacy, records can be seized by agents of the federal government. Both the Porter and Lake county library systems have adopted policies guiding compliance with requests under the Patriot Act. "The library will do its utmost to uphold the privacy and confidentiality of patrons' free access to information," according to the Porter County policy adopted April 16, 2003. Staff members presented with a court order for information are instructed to immediately contact a supervisor, who will confirm and photograph the identification of the law enforcement official. Staff members are not to interfere with a search and seizure, but are asked to keep record of all legal requests and all costs incurred. The Lake County policy instructs staff to cooperate with searches, but warns that only the records identified in the warrant shall be viewed. Staff is also warned about the gag order associated with the Patriot Act. "Why be concerned?" the policy asks. "The right of an individual to read what he or she chooses without the government's knowledge or interference is a basic precept of any free and open society." http://www.thetimesonline.com/ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Sun Jun 12 18:40:49 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sun Jun 12 18:40:54 2005 Subject: [MSN] =?iso-8859-1?q?Espa=F1a=3A_Tablas_religiosas_de_Olmos_figu?= =?iso-8859-1?q?ran_entre_las_obras_recuperadas_en_Segovia?= Message-ID: <42AC6591.1010803@bruggemansolutions.com> Tablas religiosas de Olmos figuran entre las obras recuperadas en Segovia EL NORTE/PALENCIA Las im?genes ofrecidas tras la recuperaci?n en Segovia, por la Polic?a Nacional, de un centenar de obras de arte sacro robadas en la regi?n han permitido identificar una obra religiosa denunciada como sustra?da en Palencia, seg?n ha se?alado la agencia Efe el delegado diocesano de Patrimonio, Angel Sancho. El sacerdote ha constatado casi con total seguridad la presencia de las tablas policromadas del retablo de la Sant?sima Trinidad (del siglo XVII ? el XVIII), cuya desaparici?n de la iglesia de Nuestra Se?ora de la Asunci?n de Olmos de Pisuerga fue denunciada el pasado 5 de mayo. En este mismo robo tambi?n fueron sustra?dos los remates superiores de otros dos retablos del mismo templo. Sancho apunt? que las im?genes que se han difundido ?casi no ofrecen dudas de que esta tabla se encuentra entre los objetos recuperados, pero hay que esperar para cotejarlas con la ficha?. Talla de Palenzuela Asimismo, el delegado diocesano de Patrimonio tambi?n asegur? que ?puede haber indicios todav?a no confirmados? de que entre las obras recuperadas se encuentre adem?s la talla policromada de San Juan (del siglo XVI ? del XVII), perteneciente a la ermita de Palenzuela, cuya desaparici?n fue denunciada el pasado 13 de mayo. Asimismo, el delegado diocesano de Patrimonio mantiene reuniones con miembros de la Polic?a Nacional y de la Guardia Civil para determinar con exactitud las obras de arte sacro robadas en los ?ltimos meses en la provincia de Palencia para determinar si forman parte de la incautaci?n policial de Segovia. La Delegaci?n Diocesana de Patrimonio tambi?n ha cursado las fichas identificativas de cuatro columnas policromadas desaparecidas de la iglesia de San Nicol?s del Real Camino y que formaban parte del retablo principal, robo denunciado en Villada. http://www.nortecastilla.es/ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Mon Jun 13 04:49:45 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Mon Jun 13 06:43:28 2005 Subject: [MSN] theft last year of Edvard Munch's The Scream may have been part of an elaborate criminal plot Message-ID: <20050613024946.PCZB16988.amsfep16-int.chello.nl@cremers> Master plan It's the priceless artwork that conveys existential despair. It may also never be seen again. But, as Kris Hollington reports, the theft last year of Edvard Munch's The Scream may have been part of an elaborate criminal plot Monday June 13, 2005 The Guardian At about 8am on April 5 2004, a man drove a large white van in front of the police station in Norway's cathedral city of Stavanger. Another man got out of the cab, walked to the main door holding a canister of tear gas, pulled the pin and threw it inside. The two men drove off in a passenger car, the van bursting into flames as they fled. At that same moment, the police started receiving calls of a robbery in progress at the offices of Norsk Kontantservice (Nokas), a cash transport service in the basement of Norway's central bank. Five men wearing black overalls, gas masks and helmets had entered the building carrying bags stuffed full of equipment. Another three, armed with automatic weapons, had taken up strategic positions at the junctions of two nearby streets. Two patrol cars were dispatched to the scene. As the police arrived, the robbers opened fire, peppering both cars with bullets, forcing commuters to run for their lives. Norwegian police need special permission to carry guns that are kept locked up in police stations. But one of the officers, Arne Sigve Klungland, 53, happened to have a revolver in the car's safe and returned fire, hitting one of the gunmen. Not seriously injured, the gunman raised his machinegun and sprayed Klungland's car with bullets, fatally wounding him. At 8.20am, one of the robbers took a hostage - without realising it was a plainclothes policeman. Inside the bank, the gang used sledgehammers and a variety of other tools to gain access to the Nokas offices. This took nearly 15 minutes but the police were unable to make use of this time to dispatch armed officers because of the van, burning in front of the station. At 8.40am, the robbers crashed through the doors of the bank and spilled into the street. They drove out of the city at speed, firing wildly as they went. They drove off-road, under the main highway, over a bus lane and vanished. At about 9am, thick black smoke was spotted rising from the edge of a forest two kilometres from the centre of town. The getaway cars were still ablaze as armed police entered the forest but the robbers were gone. Their prize: ?5m in untraceable cash. Only seven police officers have been killed on duty in postwar Norway. The country's special organised crime unit, Catch, and special police force,Kripos, were instructed to drop all other cases. The Director of Police, Ingelin Killengreen, said every policeman in Norway would be put on the case. And then, a few weeks later, another robbery took place - a robbery that changed police priorities immediately. On August 22 2004 at the Munch Museum in Oslo, two thieves, wearing hooded tops and balaclavas, ran straight into a plate-glass sliding door. Startled museumgoers watched as they picked themselves up, waited for the door to slide back and tried again. Once inside, they turned right, then left, then left again. Realising they should have gone right, they doubled back and finally arrived in the central room of the museum where their iconic target was hung. The Scream by Edvard Munch is a symbol of Expressionist angst, showing an individual on a bridge, hands clasped around their head and mouth wide open, howling despair at the viewer. One of the most famous paintings in the world, it is said to reflect Munch's existential despair after the early deaths of his mother and elder sister. It is widely considered to be priceless. One robber held a gun to the head of a terrified security guard while the other tore the painting from its mountings. On the way to the exit, almost as an afterthought, the thieves stopped and tore down another Munch painting, The Madonna. As they fled the two thieves were caught on security cameras ripping the wooden frames off to remove electronic tracking devices. The Scream, painted on cardboard, was badly damaged in the process. Despite the bungled start, the heist had taken just a few minutes. A national outcry followed. One newspaper carried the headline: The World Screams. Arrests were demanded. The press were severely critical of museum security and derided the police for failing to make a quick arrest. Just as he did a month before, Killengreen said that every available policeman would be put on the case in an effort to ensure the quick return of the painting. Could the two, spectacular heists have been connected? The hunt for those responsible for the Nokas robbery had proven only partly successful. By July, seven arrests had been made, in Norway and elsewhere in Europe, but 28-year-old David Toska, who is later said to have confessed to being the ringleader, remained elusive. Meanwhile, in the hunt for The Scream, police had a clear target - Paal Enger, an ex-professional footballer turned art-thief extraordinaire who admitted to having a Munch obsession. Enger's criminal career had been nothing if not colourful. His first spell in prison was for stealing Munch's The Vampire. At the time, in 1988, Enger played for the Norwegian club Valerenga, but low wages meant most players had another career. Two of Enger's' teammates were policemen who noticed that, despite not having a second job, he threw away brand new tracksuits at the end of each training session, claiming it wasn't worth washing them. Intrigued, they followed Enger through Oslo and watched as he spent large sums on watches, clothes, restaurants and holidays. They soon discovered that he was a thief, mainly stealing jewels and cash. When police raided his home, The Vampire was found hanging on his wall. After Enger was released in 1994, he soon returned to crime and, later that year, was given an unusual commission: to steal The Scream. He would be well-paid and his mystery employer didn't even want the painting - Enger could do what he liked with it. Enger gladly accepted and hired three accomplices. They broke into Oslo's National Gallery on the night the national attention was distracted by the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics, held that year in Lillehammer, Norway. After stealing the masterpiece in less than a minute, Enger left a postcard which read: "Thousand thanks for the bad security!" An incurable show-off, Enger helped draw suspicion to himself by boasting in a newspaper birth notice that his baby son had arrived "med et Skrik" - "with a scream". Police hired a British art recovery expert, Tony Russell, who helped put together a sting when Enger tried to ransom the painting for ?700,000. He was captured during the handover in a small town near Oslo and the painting was recovered undamaged. He was sentenced to six-and-a-half-years. He escaped from prison while on a field trip in 1999 but was captured 12 days later in a blond wig and dark sunglasses trying to buy a train ticket to Copenhagen. Later, police learned that the unnamed inspiration for the Scream raid was, in fact, a member of the "Tveita Gang", a group of armed robbers whose activities had been severely curtailed by a police crackdown. The theft of The Scream was supposed to take the heat off them - and it worked. They successfully raided several banks in the weeks following the theft. As police considered the second raid they became convinced that Toska had commissioned it, like the Tveita gang, fearful of being arrested for his other crimes. Iver Stensrud, the head of the organised crime unit of Oslo police, who is leading the inquiry into the recovery of the pictures, said: "You can't sell The Scream, it's impossible. Toska used the same methods as the Tveita Gang." The theft of a world-famous painting demands attention; it was vital the police made rapid progress as the whole world watched. And while they gave all their attention to The Scream, Toska slipped out of Norway. He made his way to Madrid, and is believed to have hooked up with a Norwegian hashish smuggler, using a large part of the money from the Nokas robbery to buy several hundred kilos of hashish. In April the pair were arrested in a hotel room in Malaga and Toska allegedly confessed to having orchestrated the Nokas robbery, also giving police vital evidence that confirmed their suspicions about who had taken the painting, naming all four of the individuals who have been arrested for the Scream robbery. Enger, who had already been questioned in November, was finally taken into custody in May. He denies any involvement in the crime. As for the paintings, their whereabouts remains unknown. "We don't know where [they] are, whether they are still in Norway, or whether they have gone abroad," Stensrud says. Fears are mounting that they may be irretrievably damaged. Reports in the Norwegian daily VG cite criminal sources claiming that both paintings were incinerated by the thieves because they thought police were getting too close. On June 2 police offered a 2m kroner (?170,000) reward for information leading to their recovery. The beleaguered Munch Museum, closed since November, will reopen this month after a ?4.3m security upgrade, installing metal detectors and a new labyrinthine floor plan. It is designed to fox even the most well-prepared art thieves. From msn-list at te.verweg.com Mon Jun 13 23:58:30 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Mon Jun 13 23:58:37 2005 Subject: [MSN] South Africa - Art theft: police hope to quiz tattooed man Message-ID: <42AE0186.202@bruggemansolutions.com> Art theft: police hope to quiz tattooed man olice have released footage, from a closed circuit surveillance camera, hoping it will help catch the thief of a R2,5-million painting from the SABC offices in Johannesburg, a spokesperson said on Monday. The Jacob Pierneef painting, titled Near Golden Gate, was stolen on May 16 from the SABC offices in Auckland Park. It had just been returned from an exhibition at the Johannesburg Art Gallery. Police are looking for a white male, between 45 and 55, with tattoos on both forearms, said Johannesburg area police spokesperson Superintendent Chris Wilken. The man, who police believe can assist the investigation, is of a slender build, about 1.9m tall and has short hair. "We believe he is in the Gauteng area and possibly in the northern suburbs," Wilken said. In May, the SABC offered a reward of R20 000 for information leading to the recovery of the painting. Corporation spokesperson Paul Setsetse said the painting of a valley landscape was oil on canvas and was one of a selection of the SABC's extensive art collection. The painting was commissioned by the SABC in the 1950s and was completed in 1955. Anyone with information should contact Captain Henry Bendeman of the Hillbrow detective services on 083 424 2421 or 011 488 6624. - Sapa http://www.iol.co.za/ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Tue Jun 14 10:55:52 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Tue Jun 14 10:55:55 2005 Subject: [MSN] =?iso-8859-1?q?Espa=F1a=3A_Distribuir=E1n_a_todo_el_mundo_?= =?iso-8859-1?q?las_fotos_de_los_objetos_robados_en_la_iglesia?= Message-ID: <42AE9B98.20001@bruggemansolutions.com> Distribuir?n a todo el mundo las fotos de los objetos robados en la iglesia La Polic?a ha enviado a Madrid restos biol?gicos de los ladrones de San Francisco de Sales Por ahora no se descarta ninguna hip?tesis, aunque cree que no fueron profesionales La Brigada de Patrimonio Hist?rico de la Polic?a Nacional distribuir? a varios pa?ses las fotos de los objetos robados la semana pasada en la parroquia de San Francisco de Sales, donde sustrajeron, entre otras cosas, varios c?lices, un incensario y una talla de la Virgen de la Asunci?n, de metro y medio de altura, que puede ser el objeto m?s valioso. Tambi?n sustrajeron partes del equipo de m?sica y un cop?n con las hostias consagradas, que es lo que m?s preocupaci?n ha ocasionado al p?rroco de la iglesia, quien teme que puedan ser objeto de venta para grupos que se dedican a la organizaci?n de ritos sat?nicos, ya que recientemente se est?n detectando en Internet la organizaci?n de subastas de este tipo. El p?rroco de San Francisco de Sales record? la semana pasada que la iglesia ha sufrido robos en otras ocasiones, pero los ladrones nunca se atrevieron a tocar el sagrario y siempre optaron por objetos m?s f?ciles de vender. No pudieron por la puerta La Comisar?a de la Polic?a Nacional de M?rida, que continuaba ayer con la investigaci?n, no descarta por ahora ninguna hip?tesis, aunque considera que el robo no fue perpetrado por ladrones profesionales por la forma en la que actuaron. ?Intentaron primero entrar por la puerta principal, pero, al no poder forzarla, accedieron por la ventana de un cuarto de ba?o. Y una puerta de una parroquia no parece un obst?culo muy insalvable para un profesional, aunque nunca se sabe?, explic? ayer el comisario Luis Ochagav?a. Los agentes de la Polic?a Cient?fica de M?rida han encontrado restos biol?gicos de los posibles autores del robo que han sido enviados a Madrid para tratar de identificarlos. Respecto a los objetos robados, la brigada policial de Patrimonio Hist?rico intentar? dar a conocer sus im?genes y descripci?n para evitar en lo posible su venta, aunque la Polic?a sabe que la artesan?a religiosa ?tiene bastante salida porque se vende muy bien?, coment? el responsable de la Comisar?a emeritense. Los ladrones abandonaron cerca de la iglesia algunos objetos, como el sagrario y parte del equipo de m?sica, ?porque probablemente iban muy cargados?, baraja la Polic?a. http://www.hoy.es/pg050614/prensa/noticias/Merida/200506/14/HOY-MER-067.html From msn-list at te.verweg.com Wed Jun 15 14:28:42 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Wed Jun 15 14:28:47 2005 Subject: [MSN] Oregon,Salem: Stolen salmon figure returned Message-ID: <42B01EFA.3050604@bruggemansolutions.com> Stolen salmon figure returned Art is dropped off behind the gallery it was taken from A salmon figure stolen from the front of a downtown Salem gallery during the weekend has been found and returned to its perch. "WatersFish," one of 20 decorated pieces of public art that will be auctioned off for charity in the fall, was found behind the Blue Pepper Gallery and Framing Store on Tuesday morning after being dropped off as suddenly as it was taken. Gallery owner James Finholt found the fish wrapped in black plastic bags about 7:30 a.m. "We think it was dropped off in the morning," Finholt said. "I saw this big pipe sticking out of these two plastic bags and saw the fish. We had it back out front of the store with a new lock system and pole support by 8:30 a.m." The fish was in good condition except for a broken ventral fin and some scratches. April Waters, who painted the fish, will touch up and repair the fish to make it as good as new. "We're just glad it's back," Finholt said. "We feel redeemed." The theft of the salmon Saturday night was no joke to organizers of the Salmon in the City project. The fish are valued at $7,500 to $10,000, which qualified the theft as a felony, organizer Krina Lemons said. "We're thrilled the fish is back and the damage to the fish is minimal," she said. New security precautions have been added to each of the fish to guard against additional thefts, Lemons said. Finholt said that people walking past the gallery, 241 Commercial St. NE, already have expressed their relief that "WatersFish" is back. The gallery said the Salmon in the City program already has brought new people into the business in the two weeks since it began. "People have come up and said they're glad it's back," he said. "And I think it's one of the better-looking ones out there." Lemons said organizers will continue to offer an undisclosed reward for information leading to the salmon thief. "We're going to keep taking tips, and we have received a few phone calls," she said. Later this year, all of the fiberglass salmon will be auctioned off, with the proceeds benefiting local groups, including the Salem Keizer Education Foundation, the Salem Art Association, IKE Media and the Mid-Valley Partnership for Safe Skills. Finholt said he hoped that the new notoriety of "WatersFish" will make it that much more desired by bidders during the auction. He said that he and his staff members have grown attached to the fish in the short time that it has been in front of the gallery. "It's kind of like family," he said. "And now it's the most famous fish of them all." http://159.54.226.83/apps/pbcs.dll/ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Wed Jun 15 14:28:58 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Wed Jun 15 14:29:02 2005 Subject: [MSN] Mona Lisa: La mirada acorazada Message-ID: <42B01F0A.3020309@bruggemansolutions.com> La mirada acorazada El Santo Sudario podr?a volver a ser expuesto con un sistema de seguridad como el de ?La Gioconda? La obra de Leonardo est? protegida contra ataques terroristas Seg?n Nick Rossiter, director de un famoso documental de la BBC sobre Leonardo da Vinci, el creador italiano "nunca entreg? La Gioconda, se la qued? siempre, hasta su muerte en 1519". En esta decisi?n seguramente hay mucho de cari?o y la previsi?n de algo que s?lo el genio supo adelantar casi cinco siglos: la pasi?n que ha despertado Lisa Gherardini en la historia, seguramente, porque la protagonista de la obra estaba embarazada mientras realiz? el retrato. Hoy este cuadro, que se expone en el Museo del Louvre, es la referencia art?stica del Renacimiento, de la morbosa historia del robo de obras de arte y, consiguientemente, de las medidas de seguridad que lo evitan utilizando la vanguardia de la t?cnica, tambi?n presente para su mejor conservaci?n. El de?n de la Catedral de Oviedo, Angel Pandavenes, asegur? hace unos d?as que se est? estudiando la vitrina que contiene la pintura para "ver si este sistema puede proteger definitivamente el Santo Sudario". El director de la empresa que fabric? el espacio, Alessandro Goppion, afirm? antes de su instalaci?n que el sistema de protecci?n cuenta con un nuevo tipo de cristal, que combinar? los m?s altos niveles de seguridad con una transparencia ?ptima. La nueva vitrina protege el cuadro de la humedad, la luz, el calor, los robos, el vandalismo e incluso de eventuales ataques terroristas desde este a?o. Seg?n Goppion a The Art Newspaper, la visibilidad de la obra del pintor renacentista se ve "considerablemente mejorada" con el nuevo aparador. El ?leo que Da Vinci comenz? a pintar en 1503 utilizando una tabla de 77 por 53 cent?metros se exhib?a en una caja de cristal a prueba de balas que incorporaba un sistema de aire acondicionado. La caja estaba fabricada con un cristal muy grueso que dificultaba la apreciaci?n del retrato, pero proteg?a la pintura de las fluctuaciones de humedad causadas por los seis millones de visitantes que peregrinan al Louvre cada a?o. El nuevo sistema de protecci?n de La Gioconda forma parte de un proyecto de reformas que lleva a cabo el museo m?s grande de Par?s, que servir? para acondicionar la secci?n de pinturas italianas y la Sala de los Estados. Aparte de las novedades t?cnicas, lo m?s interesante radica la apuesta de una televisi?n japonesa, la responsable de los costes de la reforma. Invirti? 2.800.000 d?lares en la nueva ubicaci?n de la Mona Lisa. http://www.lavozdeasturias.com/ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Wed Jun 15 14:33:13 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Wed Jun 15 14:33:18 2005 Subject: [MSN] Priceless carpets stolen from ancient Afghan mosque Message-ID: <42B02009.1030704@bruggemansolutions.com> Priceless carpets stolen from ancient Afghan mosque Three large, priceless carpets were stolen from an ancient Afghan mosque by thieves who struck in the middle of the night and replaced them with cheap imitations. The carpets, each made in the early 1900s specifically for the centuries-old Khawaja Abu Nasr Parsa mosque in northern Balkh province, were stolen, said local police chief Mir Hamza. Each of the carpets was about 30 feet long and richly woven in a deep red. ?It is the first time anything has ever been stolen from the mosque, the first time we have seen looting in God?s house. This is a very sad time for the people of Balkh,? said Hamza The mosque is believed to be one of the oldest in Afghanistan, though its exact age is not entirely clear. It is a popular attraction for Afghan travellers and foreigners. Hamza said authorities believed more than one person was involved in the heist, since the carpets were too big and heavy to be carried by a single man. There was no sign of forced entry, so the criminals must have had a key or picked the lock, the police chief said. Hamza said the only people with keys to the mosque were the chief cleric, his assistant and a security guard, but none of them were at the building when the theft occurred. When the cleric?s assistant arrived yesterday morning to prepare the mosque for prayers, he noticed a switch had been made. The carpets, which Hamza said were priceless, had been replaced by newer and poorly-made Iranian carpets worth only about ?150 (?225.30) each. Hamza said he had informed all the carpet and antique shops in the province that they should inform authorities should anybody try to sell the stolen goods. He also warned a government checkpoint along the Uzbekistan border, about 25 miles away, to be on the look out. ?I told everybody that this is God?s property and it must be returned,? Hamza said. Looting of Afghan antiquities is considered a growing problem, and many items are believed to be taken out of the country. http://breakingnews.iol.ie/ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Wed Jun 15 22:59:18 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Wed Jun 15 23:59:27 2005 Subject: [MSN] Goya's "Cannibal Count" recovered in Montenegro Message-ID: <42B096A6.3050703@bruggemansolutions.com> Goya's "Cannibal Count" recovered in Montenegro PODGORICA, Serbia-Montenegro (Reuters) - A stolen painting by Francisco de Goya of one of Italian history's darkest characters, the Cannibal Count, has been recovered in Montenegro, an Interior Ministry source said on Wednesday. Snatched in December 2001 from an exhibition in Turin, the Spanish master's painting of Count Ugolino della Gherardesca was traced to the mountainous Adriatic republic and tracked down to a house in the suburbs of the capital, Podogorica. The source said police had observed the suspected thieves for four months in a clandestine operation and coordinated closely with their Italian coounterparts. Montenegro's relations with Italy appeared to be recovering after years of mistrust stemming from the republic's alleged role as a haven for cigarette smugglers and the stolen luxury car trade. The source said two brothers, Goran and Dejan Mugosa, aged 29 and 35, had been arrested. The oil painting, about the size of a sheet of letter paper, depicts the count and two boys. In Dante's The Divine Comedy, Ugolino and his sons and grandsons were locked in a tower in Pisa and starved to death in 1289. When they died, the famished count consumed their flesh. The work was bought in the late 1990s for just $250 but later attributed by experts to Goya and, at the time of the theft, insured for $500,000 pending recognition by the official Italian art critics circle. http://today.reuters.co.uk/ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Thu Jun 16 07:42:50 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Thu Jun 16 07:42:55 2005 Subject: [MSN] =?iso-8859-1?q?Polic=EDa_recuper=F3_cuadro_de_Goya_que_hab?= =?iso-8859-1?q?=EDa_sido_robado?= Message-ID: <42B1115A.9010203@bruggemansolutions.com> Polic?a recuper? cuadro de Goya que hab?a sido robado Dos montenegrinos fueron detenidos por el hurto del ?leo titulado "Conde Ugolino della Gherardesca". PODGORICA.- Un cuadro del pintor espa?ol Francisco de Goya (1746-1828) robado hace un a?o y medio a un coleccionista privado en Tur?n fue encontrado en la capital de Montenegro, Podgorica, inform? hoy la polic?a. Las autoridades han detenido a dos montenegrinos de entre 20 y 30 a?os. El ?leo, titulado "Conde Ugolino della Gherardesca" y de peque?as dimensiones, fue hallado en un suburbio gracias a una informaci?n de Interpol. Hasta el momento no est? claro c?mo lleg? la obra a Montenegro. La pintura fue adquirida dos a?os antes del robo por un coleccionista privado como la obra de un desconocido por s?lo 250 d?lares. Sin embargo, poco despu?s expertos en arte lo atribuyeron al maestro espa?ol. El propietario lo asegur? entonces por medio mill?n de d?lares y lo prest? a una exposici?n en Tur?n. Los ladrones entraron como visitantes a la exposici?n, cortaron una cadena de seguridad que sujetaba la pieza con un alicate y se llevaron el cuadro. Los agentes de seguridad tardaron en darse cuenta del robo. http://www.lasegunda.com From msn-list at te.verweg.com Fri Jun 17 10:03:05 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Fri Jun 17 10:03:16 2005 Subject: [MSN] Police searching for stolen railroad pieces Message-ID: <42B283B9.50409@bruggemansolutions.com> Police searching for stolen railroad pieces Police and operators of a local museum are hoping someone will blow the whistle on a crook who recently stole three vintage railroad signs. New Braunfels Police Department Crime Analyst Libby Rinehart said the thefts occurred at the New Braunfels Railroad Museum on West San Antonio Street sometime between May 30 and June 2. The signs are described as: n Blue sign with white underlined letters, ?Texas Special,? 24-1/4 by 20 inches; n White sign with black letters, ?Goodwin,? 43 by 9 inches; and n White sign with black letters, ?No Trespassing MKTRR,? 24 by 15 inches. ?Together, the signs were worth $1,000,? Rinehart said. Police collected evidence at the scene but so far have no suspects in the theft, she said. Ron Mathews, museum vice president who is in charge of its physical plant, said whatever cash value the signs have belie their true worth as historical artifacts. ?The ?Texas Special? was a passenger train that ran through New Braunfels for many years up until passenger trains were no longer profitable,? Mathews said. ?It originated in San Antonio, and I believe it?s the one called the ?Texas Eagle? today by Amtrak.? One of the cars on that train, Mathews said, was a stainless steel passenger coach called the ?New Braunfels.? It is now under restoration at the Gulf Coast Railroad Museum. ?This ?Texas Special? sign would be considered extremely rare,? Mathews said. ?You would never find another in this area, anywhere. It?s got to be one-of-a-kind. The only other place you might find one would be in a museum in Dallas or Fort Worth, somewhere where the ?Texas Special? ran.? The ?Goodwin? sign, Mathews said, marked a junction near New Braunfels. ?It was one-of-a-kind,?he said. ?There isn?t another one of those signs. The trespassing sign, you might find half a dozen or so of those floating around, but not in this area. These are an important part of educating people about the history of railroading in this area.? The theft is the second at the museum in eight months. Last September, someone took three signs off a wrought iron fence at the facility. Missing are a round black on yellow crossing marker, a black and white, X-shaped railroad ?crossbuck? sign and an Amtrak sign designating ?Coach Dorm 39908,? which was destroyed years ago. ?These signs are a real loss because of their historical significance in the way they pertain to Texas passenger service,? Mathews said. Rinehart said she would like to hear from anyone who knows anything about the thefts. She can be reached at 608-2185. Anyone who has information but doesn?t want police to know their name can provide it to New Braunfels/Comal County Crime Stoppers. All calls are confidential and the caller will remain anonymous. Call 620-TIPS (8477) or (800) 640-8422. http://web.herald-zeitung.com/ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Fri Jun 17 10:03:34 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Fri Jun 17 10:03:45 2005 Subject: [MSN] Florida: Arrestan a dos por =?windows-1252?q?tr=E1fico_de_pintura?= =?windows-1252?q?s?= Message-ID: <42B283D6.6070107@bruggemansolutions.com> Arrestan a dos por tr?fico de pinturas MORRISTOWN ? La fiscal?a del estado inform? ayer que dos hombres fueron arrestados y acusados de posesi?n de dos valiosas obras de arte que presuntamente le fueron robadas a la hermana del presidente de Colombia, Alvaro Uribe V?lez. Los acusados, identificados como Oscar Londo?o, de 45 a?os, residente de Morristown y Charlie Robles Delgado, 34, con domicilio en Kissimee en la Florida, enfrentan cargos por recibir propiedad robada, conspiraci?n y posesi?n de una propiedad modificada. John Hagerty, portavoz de la Divisi?n de Justicia Criminal, indic? que durante una investigaci?n encubierta en un caso grande de drogas, conducida en la localidad de Morristown el pasado mes de mayo, accidentalmente los detectives se enteraron sobre la venta de unas obras de arte que hab?an sido robadas de una colecci?n privada. Aunque no se dio a conocer el monto de las obras de arte ni su descripci?n, se precis? que en el operativo intervino un agente encubierto perteneciente a la mencionada divisi?n que luego de comunicarse con Londo?o, acord? la compra de dos pinturas por un valor de 100 mil d?lares. Luego de llevar a cabo la transacci?n, realizada el 17 de mayo, las autoridades procedieron a arrestar a los dos sujetos. Londo?o permanece en la c?rcel del condado bajo una fianza de 75 mil d?lares, mientras que Delgado fue dejado en libertad tras pagar la suma de 25 mil d?lares de fianza, cifra que le fue rebajada de los 100 mil d?lares interpuestos inicialmente por un juez de la corte superior. Pedro Jim?nez, fiscal de la oficina del procurador estatal, dijo que actualmente est?n tratando de verificar la autenticidad de las pinturas y confirmar si fueron las mismas que le fueron sustra?das a la hermana del mandatario colombiano durante un robo en su casa en Colombia. http://www.eldiariony.com/ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Fri Jun 17 10:48:24 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Fri Jun 17 10:48:34 2005 Subject: [MSN] Jordan leads hunt for Iraq's looted treasures Message-ID: <42B28E58.80900@bruggemansolutions.com> Jordan leads hunt for Iraq's looted treasures AMMAN, June 16 (Reuters) - Hidden in cars, coat pockets and even bags of onions, ancient treasures are flowing out of Iraq and many are surfacing in Jordan, where officials have seized a record 1,347 pieces in the past two years. The seized artefacts, kept in a secret storehouse, included an Assyrian ivory carving ransacked from the Baghdad Museum by looters as Saddam Hussein's rule crumbled, U.N. and Jordanian officials said this week. "These pieces are priceless. They are very important. They tell us a lot about the history, the habits and the fashion of the time," said Philippe Delanghe, programme specialist for culture in the Iraq office of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), based in Amman. "The Jordanian government has been one of the most active in the region in terms of pursuing illicit trafficking of Iraqi artefacts," he said. Jordan, which shares a long border with Iraq, is believed to be a major transit point for smuggling antiquities from the banks of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers to wealthy collectors in Europe and the United States. A close U.S. ally, Jordan has tightened security at its borders, and custom officials and police have received training from UNESCO and Italy's carabinieri to help identify stolen treasures. Smaller numbers have been seized in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Syria but Jordan has recovered by far the most. Items have also surfaced in Italy and the United States, officials said. Most of the antiquities seized by Jordanian customs and police were plundered from Iraq's vast archaeological sites and from storage houses in Mosul and Nassiriya, said Fawwaz Khraysheh, the head of Jordan's Department of Antiquities. They include cuneiform tablets -- clay palettes bearing symbols regarded as the origins of writing -- bronze jewellery, ceramic figurines and Islamic coins from the Omeyad period in the 7th century AD. Khraysheh said the pieces, as well as paintings and pictures of a smiling Saddam stolen by a foreign journalist from one of the former dictator's palaces, would be returned once Iraqi officials requested them. "AN ALARMING PROBLEM" Although the plundering of Iraq's treasures began more than a decade ago, it has gathered pace in the chaos that followed the 2003 U.S.-led war, fuelled by poor security and an international black market. "The looting of ancient sites in Iraq is an alarming problem," Chiara Bardeschi, who heads UNESCO's International Committee for the Safeguard of Iraq's Cultural Heritage, told Reuters by telephone from her office in Paris. The most valuable piece confiscated by the Jordanians is the Assyrian ivory carving, dating from about 2,000 BC. It is believed to have been part of the bed of an Assyrian king and the carving represents hunting and court scenes. It was broken into pieces by the smugglers and seized at the Karama border crossing months after looters broke into Baghdad's national museum in April 2003 and stole about 15,000 pieces. About half of the pieces looted from the Baghdad museum have been recovered. Officials say the seizures may be only a small proportion of what is being smuggled out of Iraq, considered the cradle of civilisation. Experts are unaware of the size of Iraq's archaeological heritage -- there are 10,000 registered archaeological sites and there is no inventory of the artefacts they contain. The looters have become more organised and ingenious. "We have heard stories of artefacts hidden in bags of beans and onions and loaded onto trucks," Delanghe said. With anarchy prevailing in large parts of Iraq, Delanghe said it would be difficult to stop the traffic until security improved. "We know artefacts are disappearing at all sites. We can't even go to these sites. They are too dangerous." http://www.alertnet.org/thenews From msn-list at te.verweg.com Fri Jun 17 16:49:23 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Fri Jun 17 16:49:34 2005 Subject: [MSN] Poor security shuts Iraqi museum Message-ID: <42B2E2F3.1070009@bruggemansolutions.com> Poor security shuts Iraqi museum Iraq Museum director Donny George takes security a bit more seriously than most other museum heads would. Books on his shelves summarise his struggle: Institutional Trauma: Major Change in Museums and its Effect on Staff, Museum Security and Protection and Moving the Mountain: A Guide to Moving Collections. "I tell the guards, if they shoot one bullet, then you shoot 100. We must show that the place is well-protected." With two Iraq Museum guards in hospital after just such an attack, George believes fighters are testing security with a view to repeating the massive looting that followed the US-led invasion of March 2003. Reopening delayed And that is why the museum's reopening has been delayed indefinitely, as car bombs continue to explode and staff often find their way to work blocked by anti-fighter sweeps in what George says is a "hot" Baghdad neighbourhood. "We thought everything would calm down after the [January] elections, so we planned an exhibition for July, but instead things have escalated. "The museum is a soft target and at the moment if we wanted to hold an exhibition we would need the whole Iraqi army to protect it." But George, 55, and his colleagues are not sitting around idly waiting for peace. The museum's repainted corridors are bustling with activity, although some of it is from archaeologists who have come from the provinces to report looting. Elsewhere, young conservators work on broken artefacts in rebuilt laboratories. Others carry out the tedious task of cataloguing, while the director steers the museum through these dark times. Artefacts found George says that of 15,000 treasures stolen in the chaos following Baghdad's fall, about half have been intercepted, from Kuwait to Japan and Italy. But the museum is far from ready to take them back. "They're safe with the authorities there," he says, praising the cooperation of countries such as Jordan and the United States, but accusing others of inaction. "Unfortunately, Iran and Turkey have never gotten back to us about what they've seized, and we know they have artefacts." The museum's halls, once a repository of the finest pieces from what is often called the cradle of civilisation, now house empty display cabinets, some smashed, all veiled in dust. The Assyrian hall offers the only reminder that this was once a world-class museum, lined with ancient sculptures and winged creatures. These were simply too heavy to be stolen, and perhaps not ornate enough to attract looters' predatory attention. Recent history Outside, the museum's courtyard is filled with objects from Iraq's more recent history under deposed leader Saddam Hussein. Two of his garish gold-painted carriages squat under tarpaulins in a dusty corner, while nearby, half a dozen stacked freight containers filled with kitsch from his palaces resemble a modern art installation. "We'll look after those objects, but we won't put them on display," says George, while admitting the time will come for a museum to Hussein's era - as long as it is not propagandistic. "There could be such a museum in one of his palaces, because he's part of the country's history, positive or negative. Museums are there to teach and show the facts. People should then judge for themselves." http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Fri Jun 17 16:49:31 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Fri Jun 17 16:49:43 2005 Subject: [MSN] Thieves hit Scottsdale art galleries Message-ID: <42B2E2FB.2030509@bruggemansolutions.com> Thieves hit Scottsdale art galleries Move over, rock burglar. Scottsdale may have another serial thief in town. In the past four months, one or more thieves have robbed or attempted to rob at least five galleries on Main Street in downtown Scottsdale. More than $25,000 in sculptures were stolen. The most recent theft was May 31 at Gallery Elite. The burglar stole a 2-foot-tall bronze sculpture of a nude woman standing with her back arched; her right arm is extended and a sphere is balancing on the back of her wrist. The sculpture, "Balance," by Paige Bradley, is worth $5,500, said Michael Gurule, sales director at Gallery Elite. Similar burglaries occurred at the Sonya Smith Gallery on Main Street twice in nine months. In July, one or more burglars stole a life-size bronze statue of a nude woman worth at least $6,000, said Sonya Smith, who owns the gallery. In March, two more bronze sculptures of nude women by the same artist were stolen. The statues, "Joy" and "The Offering," by Rodd Ambroson, were worth $5,500 each. "Somebody?s building quite a collection," said Smith. Smith said she thinks the same burglar or burglars struck her gallery in July and March, and Gallery Elite in May, because all three thefts were of similar pieces and the thief threw rocks at windows and doors to enter both galleries. Gurule also thinks the burglaries were committed by the same person. But unlike Smith, Gurule does not think the sculptures are being sold to art lovers in the United States. "You can?t market hot art," he said. "You put it up on the Web, people are going to know it?s hot. I bet they?re all in galleries in Mexico." Scottsdale police Sgt. Eric Rasmussen said anything is possible. "We don?t know if they?re stealing them because they?re bronze, or stealing them because they?re collectors," he said. "It could be a group of people or it could be one person. We won?t know until we catch them." Three more galleries besides Gallery Elite and Sonya Smith have been the target of thieves. The first occurred Feb. 13 at Willow Gallery on Main Street. There, police believe at least two thieves attempted to steal a 6-foot-tall bronze sculpture of a paperboy. The burglars cut the padlock from a chain that secured the statue and moved it about 15 feet away from its stand. They may have been frightened away because they did not steal the $17,000 sculpture, police said. Similar incidents occurred at two other galleries in a seven-day period in April. On April 20, thieves attempted to steal a $22,000, 600-pound bronze sculpture in front of Long Gallery on Main Street by pummeling screw nuts with a heavy object. Gallery owner Tuppi Long said the burglars must have become scared or frustrated because they didn?t leave with the statue. But on April 27, thieves got away with a $10,000 sculpture from Willow Gallery on Main Street. The 8-foot-tall steel statue was of a female American Indian with braided hair holding a feather. The string of art thefts, which officials say is unprecedented, has gallery owners worried for the safety of their art and themselves. "You feel like you?ve been raped when someone can just go right into your gallery, steal something and just walk out," Smith said. "Now I don?t even feel comfortable in my gallery after dark." Kathy Duley, co-owner of Duley/Jones Gallery and president of the Scottsdale Gallery Association, said gallery owners have been warned about the recent thefts and told how to prevent future thefts. Additionally, the Scottsdale Police Department soon will add two squads to its downtown beat for unrelated reasons. Gurule said it?s only a matter of time before the thieves are caught. "He has to get caught," Gurule said. "It might be next month or it might be a couple of years, but it?s going to happen." http://www.eastvalleytribune.com From msn-list at te.verweg.com Fri Jun 17 16:49:37 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Fri Jun 17 16:49:53 2005 Subject: [MSN] Munch Museum Opens Tomorrow, 10 Months After Heist _ Munch-Museum hat ein verbessertes Sicherheitssystem Message-ID: <42B2E301.9050209@bruggemansolutions.com> Norway's Munch Museum Opens Tomorrow, 10 Months After Heist June 17 (Bloomberg) -- Oslo's Munch Museum will open to the public tomorrow after a security upgrade, almost 10 months after armed robbers took off with Edvard Munch's masterpieces ``The Scream'' and ``Madonna.'' The museum has been rebuilt internally to install an entry- control system similar to those found in international airports, including metal detectors and ticket gates, said Jorunn Christoffersen, a spokeswoman at the museum. Extra surveillance systems have been added, as well as bullet-proof glass shields to protect the paintings. Fire protection has also been improved. The stolen paintings have not been recovered, though five men are in custody in connection with the Aug. 22 robbery. Two masked men threatened guards at gunpoint in front of shocked tourists, tore the paintings from the walls and escaped in a waiting car. The museum has been shut since the robbery. ``We had hoped to have the paintings back for the opening, but we have a large collection to take from, and also a special exhibition of Munch's self-portraits,'' Christoffersen said in an interview today. A pastel version of ``The Scream'' and a lithograph version of ``Madonna'' will be on display, she said. Munch, who lived between 1863 and 1944, made several versions of ``The Scream,'' including two paintings. The other painted version, which is owned by the National Gallery in Oslo, was stolen from the gallery in 1994 and recovered three months later after a sting operation by Norwegian and U.K. police. ``The Scream,'' showing a genderless figure holding its hands over its ears and screaming, has become one of the most reproduced images of modern art, having been depicted on everything from t-shirts and coffee mugs to election-campaign buttons and inflatable dolls. The city of Oslo, which owns the Munch collection and the museum, earlier this month offered a 2 million-krone ($308,000) reward for information leading to the retrieval of the paintings. The police have said they expect to make more arrests and are optimistic the paintings will be found. The refurbishment of the museum has cost the city 38 million kroner, Christoffersen said. The interior has been transformed from one large room with movable dividing walls to several permanent rooms of various sizes, to make it more difficult for potential robbers to get their bearings, she said. Last year's heist only took a few minutes, as the robbers could enter the museum, run into the exhibition area and back out the same way without meeting any physical obstacles. The building now has a separate exit area, making it impossible for visitors to return to the entrance once they have moved through the security checks. In addition to key Munch works, the special exhibition of his self-portraits will be on display until Aug. 28. The artist made about 70 painted and 20 etched images of himself, and more than 100 sketches, drawings and watercolors. The self-portrait exhibition has previously been on display at Moderna Museet in Stockholm, and will be shown at the Royal Academy of Arts in London later this year. http://www.bloomberg.com/ ++++ Munch-Museum hat ein verbessertes Sicherheitssystem Oslo (dpa) Zehn Monate nach dem Raub der weltber?hmten Bilder ?Der Schrei? und ?Madonna? von Edvard Munch (1863-1944) wird das Osloer Munch-Museum mit umfassenden neuen Sicherheitsma?nahmen am Wochenende neu er?ffnet. Es war nach dem spektakul?ren Kunstraub im vergangenen August f?r Besucher geschlossen worden. Zwei bewaffnete M?nner hatten die Bilder w?hrend der ?ffnungszeit von der Wand gerissen und in einem bereitstehenden Fluchtwagen mitgenommen. Trotz der Festnahme von f?nf Tatverd?chtigen sind die Bilder mit einem Sch?tzwert von 700 Millionen Kronen (83 Millionen Euro) weiter verschwunden. Die Stadt Oslo stellte 38 Millionen Kronen f?r den Einbau eines komplett neuen Sicherheitssystems zur Verf?gung, das dem Museum nach Angaben der Zeitung ?Aftenposten? in Fachkreisen den Spitznamen ?Festung Munch? eingetragen hat. So m?ssen Besucher des Museums im Osloer Au?enbezirk T?yen jetzt eine elektronische Sicherheitskontrolle wie auf Flugpl?tzen passieren. Alle ausgestellten Bilder sind durch schusssicheres Glas gesch?tzt. Ein- und Ausgang wurden so voneinander getrennt, dass Besucher das Museum nur ?ber einen fest vorgeschriebenen und nach dem Ausstellungsbereich noch sehr langen Weg verlassen k?nnen. Die Zahl der W?chter wurde drastisch erh?ht. Zus?tzlich ?berwachen zahlreiche sichtbare und versteckte Kameras alle R?ume. Zum Schutz der insgesamt etwa 1100 Munch-Arbeiten vor Brandgefahr und Luftfeuchtigkeit wurden zus?tzlich aufwendige Umbauten f?r acht Millionen Kronen durchgef?hrt. Museumschef Gunnar S?rensen sagte dazu ?Aftenposten?: ?Es ist schon furchtbar, dass die beiden Bilder gestohlen wurden. Aber noch viel schlimmer w?re es doch, wenn sich die anderen hier langsam aufl?sen w?rden.? Die Ausstellungsfl?che wurde durch die Umbauten insgesamt deutlich vermindert. Oslo (dpa) Zehn Monate nach dem Raub der weltber?hmten Bilder ?Der Schrei? und ?Madonna? von Edvard Munch (1863-1944) wird das Osloer Munch-Museum mit umfassenden neuen Sicherheitsma?nahmen am Wochenende neu er?ffnet. Es war nach dem spektakul?ren Kunstraub im vergangenen August f?r Besucher geschlossen worden. Click here to find out more! Zwei bewaffnete M?nner hatten die Bilder w?hrend der ?ffnungszeit von der Wand gerissen und in einem bereitstehenden Fluchtwagen mitgenommen. Trotz der Festnahme von f?nf Tatverd?chtigen sind die Bilder mit einem Sch?tzwert von 700 Millionen Kronen (83 Millionen Euro) weiter verschwunden. Die Stadt Oslo stellte 38 Millionen Kronen f?r den Einbau eines komplett neuen Sicherheitssystems zur Verf?gung, das dem Museum nach Angaben der Zeitung ?Aftenposten? in Fachkreisen den Spitznamen ?Festung Munch? eingetragen hat. So m?ssen Besucher des Museums im Osloer Au?enbezirk T?yen jetzt eine elektronische Sicherheitskontrolle wie auf Flugpl?tzen passieren. Alle ausgestellten Bilder sind durch schusssicheres Glas gesch?tzt. Ein- und Ausgang wurden so voneinander getrennt, dass Besucher das Museum nur ?ber einen fest vorgeschriebenen und nach dem Ausstellungsbereich noch sehr langen Weg verlassen k?nnen. Die Zahl der W?chter wurde drastisch erh?ht. Zus?tzlich ?berwachen zahlreiche sichtbare und versteckte Kameras alle R?ume. Zum Schutz der insgesamt etwa 1100 Munch-Arbeiten vor Brandgefahr und Luftfeuchtigkeit wurden zus?tzlich aufwendige Umbauten f?r acht Millionen Kronen durchgef?hrt. Museumschef Gunnar S?rensen sagte dazu ?Aftenposten?: ?Es ist schon furchtbar, dass die beiden Bilder gestohlen wurden. Aber noch viel schlimmer w?re es doch, wenn sich die anderen hier langsam aufl?sen w?rden.? Die Ausstellungsfl?che wurde durch die Umbauten insgesamt deutlich vermindert. http://www.szon.de/ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Sat Jun 18 09:55:48 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sat Jun 18 09:55:59 2005 Subject: [MSN] =?windows-1252?q?Stolen_Rodin_sculpture_found_=5F_Anuncian?= =?windows-1252?q?_sumario_por_robo_de_=27=27El_Torso_de_Ad=E9le=27=27=2C_?= =?windows-1252?q?de_Auguste_Rodin?= Message-ID: <42B3D384.8070202@bruggemansolutions.com> Stolen Rodin sculpture found A FAMED bronze statue by Auguste Rodin stolen from a museum in Chile has been found in a nearby park. The Torso of Adele statue, valued at some $US490,000 ($635,000), was stolen from Santiago's Bellas Artes, or Fine Arts museum, late yesterday. "A boy found it in a patch (of flowers) in the park and notified authorities after watching the news," Clara Budnik, director of the government department of Archives, Libraries and Museums told local journalists today. The piece was part of a Rodin exhibit running from May to August. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/ +++ Anuncian sumario por robo de ''El Torso de Ad?le'', de Auguste Rodin La escultura del artista franc?s fue robada, durante la noche del jueves o la madrugada del viernes, en el Museo de Bellas Artes y fue devuelta pasadas las 19:00 horas de ayer en la 50 comisar?a de San Joaqu?n. La directora de la Dibam, Clara Budnick, anunci? una investigaci?n interna, y la polic?a contin?a sus pesquisas para hallar a los autores del delito. ?La tentaci?n de San Antonio?. ?se es el nombre de la exposici?n de pintura que se inauguraba el jueves en la noche en el Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. Alrededor de 200 personas fueron a la ceremonia, y se presume que entre ellos hab?a alguien cuya tentaci?n difer?a mucho del tenor de la muestra. Iba por una pieza mayor: un Auguste Rodin. Desgraciadamente Chile volvi? a estar en el centro de la noticia. Una de las 61 esculturas que componen la muestra retrospectiva del artista franc?s, llamada ?El torso de Ad?le?, fue robada en horas de la madrugada del viernes desde la Sala Matta del Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. La pieza, de 47,5 x 16 cent?metros, pesa cerca de 20 kilos, y se encontraba resguardada por un sistema de alarmas, pero al descubierto, es decir, sin un cub?culo protector. Estuvo desaparecida durante todo el d?a, y fue devuelta, intacta, en horas de la tarde a la 50 comisar?a de San Joaqu?n. La figura fue devuelta por un universitario, quien asegura haberla encontrado envuelta entre los matorrales del Parque Forestal -vecino al museo- y se la habr?a llevado a su casa. Al enterarse por la prensa de la importancia de la obra, la entreg? de inmediato a Carabineros. Las circunstancias en las que fue robada la escultura no han sido esclarecidas, y la Directora de la Direcci?n de Archivos y Museos (Dibam), Clara Budnick anunci? que se iniciar? un sumario interno para averiguar posibles responsabilidades, independiente de que la valiosa creaci?n haya sido recuperada. El ministro de Educaci?n Sergio Bitar, quien fue el que notific? del hallazgo a Budnick, critic? duramente la tardanza en las informaciones por parte del museo. "Hemos sabido muy tarde. All? ha habido una falla que hay que investigar a fondo en el propio museo?, dijo Bitar a Radio Cooperativa, y agreg?: "c?mo es posible de que una cosa de esta naturaleza no se conozca en el momento y no se le avise a la directora de Museos, que es la responsable de esta materia, a tiempo. Que tanto el ministro y luego el Presidente se informen bastante m?s tarde de una cuesti?n de esta naturaleza". Cuatro unidades policiales han estado trabajando desde ayer en el lugar, haciendo pericias con agentes qu?micos reactivos de modo de captar huellas dactilares y otras pistas que ayuden a desentra?ar qui?n sustrajo la obra, avaluada en medio mill?n de d?lares (casi 300 millones de pesos). Baytelman anunci? que se est?n analizando tambi?n las im?genes de las c?maras de seguridad del museo, aunque no quiso precisar si el o los autores est?(n) identificado(s). El encargado de la investigaci?n explic? que por ahora prefiere mantener en reserva las medidas que se est?n adoptando y las pistas que se ha encontrado, puesto que podr?an comprometer el ?xito de la b?squeda. Sin embargo, coment? que las escenas registradas por las c?maras ?son fiables?. Las fallas en el sistema de seguridad habr?an permitido este robo, in?dito en Chile por el valor de la obra. Tambi?n en Argentina Un cap?tulo parecido, aunque bastante m?s tortuoso sucedi? hace dos a?os en el Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de Argentina, en Buenos Aires. La obra ?Estudio para manos, estudio para el secreto?, tambi?n de Auguste Rodin, desapareci? del recinto en mayo del 2003, ante el absoluto estupor de curadores y encargados del centro art?stico. La pieza de bronce, de 17 x 7,9 cent?metros estaba avaluada en diez mil d?lares, y permaneci? extraviada durante cuatro meses. S?lo fue recuperada cuando un hombre intent? venderla a un anticuario y fue interceptado por la polic?a. El negocio del robo de arte Seg?n cifras de la Unesco, entre los negocios il?citos, el tr?fico de obras de arte ocupa el tercer lugar. S?lo el negocio de las drogas y las armas lo superan en volumen y ganancias. El robo y la reventa de estas creaciones mueve m?s de mil millones de d?lares al a?o, y s?lo en Francia se ha duplicado durante los ?ltimos a?os. Entre quienes sustraen obras de arte de gran valor, hay varios perfiles. Por un lado, est?n los expertos en arte, coleccionistas compulsivos, como el legendario St?phane Breitweizer, quien rob? al menos 174 objetos de museos y castillos entre 1995 y el 2001, fecha en que finalmente fue descubierto. Se autodefin?a como un amante del arte. El problema con este tipo de delincuentes es que no intentan vender las obras, por lo que pesquisarlas se hace pr?cticamente imposible para los servicios de investigaci?n. Otro tipo de delincuente es el catalogado como ?traficante ocasional?, que roba una pieza cuando se encuentra con la oportunidad: un museo desprotegido o un asalto a una casa que posea obras de este tipo. En general, se trata de ladrones o asaltantes comunes, que no saben de arte, y que, en principio, piensan que se trata de un negocio f?cil. Sin embargo, no cuentan con los contactos como para vender lo robado en los c?rculos ilegales, por lo que terminan, tarde o temprano, intentando comercializarlo en anticuarios o lugares de arte tradicionales. Es generalmente en este momento cuando son descubiertos y las obras recuperadas. Sin embargo, los m?s ?voraces? saqueadores de museos y castillos son las redes de tr?fico organizadas, bien estructuradas, y que cuentan con todos los mecanismos y contactos necesarios como para manejar el ?negocio?. Se trata de expertos en arte y, sobre todo, en sistemas de seguridad. Burlan los mecanismos de resguardo m?s sofisticados y los venden a coleccionistas privados. Otra posibilidad, cuando se trata de obras demasiado famosas, es que pidan rescate a los museos por su devoluci?n. Es decir, una especie de secuestro. http://www.elmostrador.cl/ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Sat Jun 18 10:07:30 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sat Jun 18 10:07:44 2005 Subject: [MSN] Man acquitted of arson arrested again Message-ID: <42B3D642.3040001@bruggemansolutions.com> Man acquitted of arson arrested again A man acquitted less than two months ago on charges of setting fire to the University of Georgia's Main Library has been arrested again after he was found in the school's Law Library. Jason Allen Nelms, 20, was arrested Tuesday. He was barred from university property for two years after he was arrested in the July 2003 fire that caused about $17 million to the school's Main Library. The ban remains in effect even though a Clarke County Superior Court jury found Nelms not guilty of two counts of first-degree arson on April 28, said UGA Police Chief Jimmy Williamson. Nelms was released from the Clarke County Jail on a $1,500 bond. http://www.accessnorthga.com/ From msn-list at te.verweg.com Sat Jun 18 10:07:49 2005 From: msn-list at te.verweg.com (msn-list@te.verweg.com) Date: Sat Jun 18 10:08:00 2005 Subject: [MSN] Malfunctioning sprinkler soaks library Message-ID: <42B3D655.9060103@bruggemansolutions.com> Malfunctioning sprinkler soaks library MANDEVILLE, La. (AP) ? The Mandeville branch library, closed since a malfunctioning fire sprinkler soaked books and carpets, is scheduled to reopen on Monday. Near-record temperatures the past several days may have caused the sprinkler, located in the ceiling near a skylight, to malfunction, said Janice Butler, director of the parish library system. "We think that intense sunlight pouring through the skylight created such heat that the sprinkler read that as a fire-related incident and activated," she said. The sprinkler activated without warning, drenching a patron, ruining carpet and destroying about 300 books. "He came to the front desk with the book he was reading and said, 'Sorry, I think this book just got wet,' and our workers looked at him and said, 'It appears you also got drenched,'" Butler said. Damage was estimated at $10,000 to $15,000, a parish library official said. Employees notified the fire department,