[ISHMap-List] List of maps found missing as a result of the Smileyaffair

JB Post jbpost2 at verizon.net
Fri Jun 20 00:36:02 CEST 2014


   At the moment, I am reading Donna Leon's BY ITS COVER (Grove/Atlantic, 
2014) which is a mystery set in Venice concerning the theft of maps & other 
illustrations from rare books.  I find it a strange coincidence that her 
topic fits so well with the issuing of Blanding's book.

                                                        JBP
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tony Campbell" <tonycampbellockendon at gmail.com>
To: "ISHMap-List" <ishm at lazarus.elte.hu>
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2014 9:42 AM
Subject: [ISHMap-List] List of maps found missing as a result of the 
Smileyaffair


> Further on Michael Blanding's/The Map Thief: the gripping story of an 
> esteemed rare-map dealer who made millions stealing priceless maps/(New 
> York: Gotham Books, 2014).
>
>
> Apart from the author's psychological insights intoForbes 
> Smiley'scharacter and motivation, the book also contains valuable 
> appendixes. The first (pp.223-232) lists the 'Maps Smiley admitted 
> stealing'. Of considerably greater value, is the second (pp.233-48, 
> itemising the 'Additional maps libraries reported missing'. As explained 
> in the note (p.291) this was based on the list compiled by John Woram. 
> However, and this is the significant bit:
>
> "I have supplemented this list with my own research and reporting, 
> verifying the information whenever possible with the curators at the 
> institutions, most of whom were very open to assisting me. I also visited 
> each of the six affected institutions and examined the books and maps 
> themselves, in most cases personally viewing and photographing the items 
> that have been recovered. While inevitably there may be errors in the 
> listing, the final lists are as close to definitive as I have been able to 
> make them."
>
> Even if rare map dealers do not acquire the book they should certainly 
> make sure to have those lists beside them when considering a future 
> purchase of any similar item listed there. Otherwise the requirement for 
> 'due diligence' will not have been met.
>
>
> Tony Campbell
>
> http://www.maphistory.info/fakesnotes.html
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> ISHM mailing list
> ISHM at lazarus.elte.hu
> http://lazarus.elte.hu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ishm 


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