Stealing the Show: A History of Art and Crime in Six Thefts

Those interested in the nuts and bolts of museum security, including the technological developments of the past 40 years (CCTV, motion detectors, etc.), will welcome this informative, if somewhat plodding, survey from first-time author Barelli, assisted by literary agent Schisgal. A former policeman and lifelong art lover, Barelli arrived at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art as assistant manager of security in 1978 and rose to become the Met’s chief security officer. He also spent time in London with Scotland Yard’s Art and Antiques Squad, and interviewed career criminals in his search to discover “who was stealing art, what kind of art, and why.” The six thefts he describes are often the work of opportunists, such as a Greek sculpture snatched from its pedestal in 1979. It was subsequently recovered in a storage locker at Grand Central Station after an anonymous tip. In this case, as in others, the action consists of Barelli sitting at his desk and picking up the phone, then musing once again on the opportunities that allow a thief to steal. Among his conclusions is one that readers always suspected: “the line between art admirer and art thief is a thin one.” Barelli dwells on his efforts to eliminate the opportunities that would attract a thief in the first place. True crime aficionados seeking tales of derring-do, canny master criminals, and dashing detectives will have to look elsewhere. Agent: Jessica Kastner, Dorf & Nelson. (Sept.)