Forgery Books

Book SynopsisAll 20-year-old Daisy Haites has ever wanted is a normal life, but as the heiress to London''s most notorious criminal empire, it''s just not on the cards for her.Raised by her older brother Julian since their parents were murdered, Daisy has never been able to escape the watchful gaze of her gang-lord brother. But Julian''s line of work means that Daisy''s life is... complicated.And things don''t become any easier when she falls hard for the beautiful and emotionally unavailable Christian Hemmes, who also happens to be one of the few men in London who doesn''t answer to Julian.Christian''s life is no walk in the park either, since he''s in love with his best friend''s girlfriend, Magnolia Parks.He''s happy enough to use Daisy to throw off the scent of his true affections - until she starts to infiltrate those too.As their romance blossoms into something neither were anticipating, Daisy, Christian, and Julian

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Book SynopsisIt''s the great undoing of my heart as I know it.Daisy Haites thought she''d left everything about her old life in the past: the crime, her family and the man she loves. But when her safety is threatened once again, she finds herself back under the watchful eyes of her gang-lord brother Julian and her ex-boyfriend Christian, both desperate to keep her safe.Everything gets more complicated when beautiful, broken-hearted socialite Magnolia Parks enters the scene and Julian finds himself entangled with her. Because for Julian, falling in love isn''t just unwelcome - it could be deadly for everyone involved . . .READERS LOVE THE MAGNOLIA PARKS UNIVERSE ''Magnolia and BJ have embedded themselves into my DNA.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''This book gave drama, love triangles, toxicity, chaos and I ate up every single moment.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Book Synopsis*#1 New York Times bestseller* *Shortlisted for The ALCS Gold Dagger Award for Non-Fiction*'A breath-taking read, as compelling as a Highsmith novel. I loved it' - Maggie O'Farrell 'Brilliant… A thrilling heist caper along the lines of Ocean’s Eleven’ - Sunday Times‘Gripping' - Observer ------------A spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, from the bestselling author of The Stranger in the Wood. For centuries, works of art have been stolen in countless ways from all over the world, but no one has been quite as successful at it as the master thief Stéphane Breitwieser. Carrying out more than 200 heists over nearly ten years - in museums and cathedrals all over Europe - Breitwieser, along with his g

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Book SynopsisNoah Charney has authored more than twenty-eight books, including The Collector of Lives, which was nominated for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in Biography, and Museum of Lost Art, which was a finalist for the 2018 Digital Book World Award. He is a professor of art history specializing in art crime and has taught for Yale University, Brown University, American University of Rome and University of Ljubljana. He founded the Association for Research into Crimes against Art, and he has written for dozens of major publications, including The Guardian, The Washington Post, The Observer and The Art Newspaper.

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Book SynopsisCSI meets Who Do You Think You Are? meets Time Team meets The Antiques Roadshow. Two-dimensional works of art become three-dimensional thrillers.Philip Mould is an international art dealer who has lived the high stakes game of art sleuthing for twenty years. In Sleuth, we encounter the fascinating dealers, experts, auctioneers and restorers who risk fortunes and reputations to turn overlooked artworks into coveted treasures.Sleuth is laced with dramas: Gainsborough''s earliest picture emerges in a Los Angeles saleroom - the author has three days to find the missing facts and decide what to pay. The most powerful man in the art establishment, with the influence to elevate a copy into a priceless original, is asked to look at a ''fake'' Rembrandt self portrait: if he says yes a 5,000 picture turns into 5 million masterpiece. A Vermont professor unlocks the door of a defunct Catholic church to reveal a hidden cache of 300 portraits. An auctioneer notices from the upper story of a bus thatTrade Review“Reviewing can make you hate books – the grim spectre of the copy deadline means that other tasks (cleaning the fridge is popular) can seem attractive compared with just getting on reading the book. Sleuth was different. I could not wait to get back to it” Sunday Telegraph ‘timely … exciting’ Country Life ‘a fast-paced and fascinating account of the race to uncover ‘lost’ treasures’ Independent on Sunday ‘this absorbing and fast-paced narrative … an extremely enjoyable read’ British Art Journal ‘This is no dry treatise and Mould is a first-class scene setter … There is an immediacy to much of the writing, which draws the reader in … the sort of book that may well do more to attract future talent to the world of art dealing than any number of university art history courses’ Antiques Trade Gazette

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Book SynopsisLong-time art critic Richard Dorment reveals the corruption and lies of the art world and its mystifying authentication process.Late one afternoon in the winter of 2003 art critic Richard Dorment answered a telephone call from a stranger. The caller was Joe Simon, an American film producer and art collector. He was ringing at the suggestion of David Hockney, his neighbour in Malibu. A committee of experts called the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board had declared the two Warhols in his collection to be fake. He wanted to know why and thought Dorment could help.This call would mark the beginning of an extraordinary story that would play out over the next ten years and would involve a cast of characters straight out of fiction. From rock icons and film stars; art dealers and art forgers; to a murdered Russian oligarch and a lawyer for the mob; from courtrooms to auction houses: all took part in a bitter struggle to prove the authenticity of a series of paintings by the most famous American artist of the twentieth century.Part detective story, part art history, part memoir, part courtroom drama, Warhol After Warhol is a spellbinding account of the dark connection between money, power and art.

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Book SynopsisWide-ranging, witty and fresh a stimulating read. Authentic fun'Tim Harford, Financial Times Best Summer Books 2022Brilliantly witty, profoundly illuminating, Alice Sherwood is a master storyteller' Simon SchamaThought-provoking and beautifully written' Adrian Wooldridge, Washington PostA sweeping and persuasive manifesto witty and wide-ranging a pleasure'Literary ReviewTerrific the sheer breadth of her subject matter is extraordinary'Matthew d'Ancona, Tortoisemedia.comAlice Sherwood is the real deal' Marcus du SautoyFascinating and hugely entertaining' Brian EnoUnfailingly compelling and often shocking' Philip Mould, presenter of Fake or Fortune?Riveting captivating a thoroughly enjoyable debut' Financial TimesWe live in an age when the pursuit of authenticity from living our ''best life'' to eating artisan food matters more and more to us, but where the forces of inauthenticity seem to be taking over. Our world is full of people and products that are not what they seem. We noTrade Review‘I loved this book. Fast, funny start, and absolutely fizzing with interesting ideas from art, science, history, commerce, fashion and beyond … Most of the stories here were quite new to me, and all of them were fun and thought-provoking … Strongly recommended’Tim Harford, Timharford.com ‘A sweeping and persuasive manifesto … Sherwood’s study takes in an astonishing range of subject matters … This is a profoundly academic book, but … the research is worn so lightly that it reads as easily as a work of popular science … A witty and wide-ranging call to arms that … turns out to be a pleasure’ Literary Review ‘All credit to Alice Sherwood for her courage, resourcefulness and sheer imagination … What makes Authenticity so terrific is that she is in no way bound by the intellectual paradigms, scholarly maps or political assumptions of her predecessors. Indeed, the sheer breadth of her subject matter is extraordinary: from the lessons of evolution and the art world to … the growing industry of fact-checking’Matthew d’Ancona, Tortoisemedia.com ‘Both thought-provoking and highly entertaining, with extraordinary and intriguing anecdotes’ Royal Society of Literature, Giles St. Aubyn Awards ‘Alice Sherwood is the real deal when it comes to exploring authenticity … she takes the reader on a wonderful rollercoaster of a ride to prepare them to recognise what’s real and what’s illusion’ Marcus du Sautoy ‘Beautifully written, hugely readable and completely fascinating– a book for smart thinkers everywhere’ Mary Ann Sieghart, author of The Authority Gap ‘Authenticity demonstrates that although those who wish to deceive us sometimes seem to have the upper hand, it’s down to the individual to fight for authenticity’ Elliot Higgins, author of We Are Bellingcat ‘This is a trailblazing book’ Rory Sutherland

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Book SynopsisMapping out the world's infamous art thefts, forgeries, and acts of vandalism, this unique and visually striking reference illuminates the prevalence, motivations, and consequences of art crime in every corner of the globe. Art history is filled with stories of art crime-but the depth and breadth of these incidents is not generally understood. The first book of its kind, this atlas illustrates and contextualizes nearly one hundred incidents in a unique format that allows readers to visualize the geography of art crime from the past two centuries. While the most famous crimes have occurred in Europe, this book includes malfeasance and scandals that took place in dozens of countries, including Egypt, Mexico, China, Australia, and Brazil. Divided into sections on thefts, vandalism, and forgeries, the chapters are sub-divided by continent with maps of the regions. Each crime is profiled with an absorbing narrative and images of the artworks, perpetrators, and scenes of the crime. Additio

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Book SynopsisObserver's Best Art Book of the Year, 2018In 2007, Bolton Crown Court sentenced Shaun Greenhalgh to four years and eight months in prison for the crime of producing artistic forgeries. Working out of a shed in his parents' garden, Greenhalgh had successfully fooled some of the world's greatest museums. During the court case, the breadth of his forgeries shocked the art world and tantalised the media. What no one realised was how much more of the story there was to tell.Written in prison, A Forger's Tale details Shaun's notorious career and the extraordinary circumstances that led to it. From Leonardo drawings to L.S. Lowry paintings, from busts of American presidents to Anglo-Saxon brooches, from cutting-edge Modernism to the ancient art of the Stone Age, Greenhalgh could - and did - copy it all. Told with great wit and charm, this is the definitive account of Britain's most successful and infamous forger, a man whose love for art saturates every page of this extraordinary memoir.Trade ReviewA masterpiece of masquerade...a brilliantly wily reflection on the seductions of art and corruptions of the art world. * The Telegraph *A remarkably lively account...fascinating. * The Times *Greenhalgh has a likable voice, pitched midway between Arthur Daley and Philip Marlowe. And, unsurprisingly, he has an eye for detail...The lingering impression is of a man beguiled by image-making. * The Observer *Here is riveting and affecting Northern realism: Greenhalgh's knowledge is as daunting as it is inspiring. * The Spectator *A lively account of a man who put his genuine talent and love of art to deplorable use. * Daily Mail *An indispensable addition to any rogues' library. * Sunday Independent (Ireland) *A great holiday read. * Artists and Illustrators *A roundabout love letter to art. -- Ben OkriA fascinating gilt box of secret art knowledge and expertise, told in the unpretentious voice of a legendary forger who fooled museums and collectors from his garden shed. -- Dominic Smith, author of THE LAST PAINTING OF SARA DE VOSNothing if not lively * Sunday Times Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisNow a major film starring GEORGE CLOONEY, MATT DAMON, CATE BLANCHETT, BILL MURRAY, JOHN GOODMAN, HUGH BONNEVILLE, BOB BALABAN, JEAN DUJARDIN and DIMITRI LEONIDAS.What if I told you that there was an epic story about World War II that has not been told, involving the most unlikely group of heroes? What if I told you there was a group of men on the front lines who didn’t carry machine guns or drive tanks; a new kind of soldier, one charged with saving, not destroying.From caves to castles in a thrilling race against time, these men risked their lives daily to save hundreds of thousands of the world’s greatest works of art. THEY were the Monuments Men, and THIS is their extraordinary true story.‘Remarkable’ Washington Post‘Engaging, inspiring’ Publishers WeeklyTrade ReviewAfter World War Two I served as a British member of the 'Monuments' section in Germany. Our task, I believe, was truly important - we were restoring to Europe evidence of its own civilization, which the War seemed virtually to have destroyed - and I was lucky to have had a chance to participate. It is excellent that Mr Edsel has now recorded this remarkable episode, and I am grateful to him for devoting so much energy to telling the stories of those involved -- Anne Olivier BellIn the great storytelling tradition of my longtime friend, Stephen Ambrose, Monuments Men is a marvelous addition to the many great books on World War II and is a reminder that we fought to save western civilization as well as our freedom. Robert Edsel's brilliant work tells the story of how a small unit of American soldiers raced across the front lines in Europe to rescue the art treasures of western culture that had been stolen by the Nazis. Edsel's book is a thriller, in the style of Indiana Jones, but in this case it's all fact and great history. I read the book from cover to cover - couldn't put it down! * Dr. Gordon 'Nick' Mueller, CEO/President and co-founder of the National World War II Museum *Highly Readable . . . a remarkable history * Washington Post *Engaging and inspiring * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisCovering key aspects of provenance research for the international art market, this accessible publication, co-published with the International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR), explores a range of themes including challenges and best practice to considerations specific to Nazi looted art and the trade in illicit antiquities.Provenance research is a crucial component of any art-market transaction. Without a provenance it is often difficult to establish a work’s authenticity, its true value or who has legal title. Whether buying, selling or simply maintaining an artwork in either a private or a public collection, the days when a blind eye could be turned to the history (or the lack of a known history) of a work have long gone. Proper, thorough and effective provenance research is the minimum required and demanded in today’s art world – a world that is increasingly recognising the need for greater and more effective self-regulation in the face of fakes, forgeries and challenges to ownership or authenticity that are now commonplace.Provenance Research Today is essential reading for a broad audience, from those studying to become part of the art world or professionals starting a career in provenance research, to collectors or would-be collectors, dealers, galleries, auction houses, police and art lawyers.Table of ContentsForeword; Introduction; Part I: 1: The history and purposes of provenance research; 2: The role of provenance in resolving art-world disputes; 3: The challenges of provenance research; Part II: 4: Best-practice guidelines, research methods and tools; 5: Scientific examination and provenance research: Using science to resolve questions of provenance, identity and false attribution; 6: Data and databases in provenance research; 7: Provenance research and the digital humanities; Part III: 8: Provenance research in museums: The long run; 9: The place of provenance in the catalogue raisonné; 10: The ethics of provenance research and the art market; Part IV: 11: The current state of Nazi-era provenance research, and access to Nazi-era research resources and archives; 12: The journey home: Nazi-era provenance research and restitution; Part V: 13: Researching the structure of the illicit antiquities trade; 14: From soil to showroom: tracing illicit antiquities across the world; 15: The return of the plundered: case studies in the provenance of illicit antiquities; Notes; Selected Resources; About the contributors Index

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Book SynopsisArt looting is commonly recognized as a central feature of Nazi expropriation, in both the Third Reich and occupied territories. After the war, the famed Monuments Men (and women) recovered several hundred thousand pieces from the Germans'' makeshift repositories in churches, castles, and salt mines. Well publicized restitution cases, such as that of Gustav Klimt''s luminous painting featured in the film Woman in Gold, illustrate the legacy of Nazi looting in the art world today. But what happened to looted art that was never returned to its rightful owners?In France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, postwar governments appropriated the most coveted unclaimed works for display in museums, embassies, ministries, and other public buildings. Following cultural property norms of the time, the governments created custodianships over the unclaimed pieces, without using archives in their possession to carry out thorough provenance (ownership) research. This policy extended the dispossession of J

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Book SynopsisThe world’s most renowned art forger reveals the secrets behind his decades of painting like the masters—exposing an art world that is far more corrupt than we ever knew while providing an art history lesson wrapped in sex, drugs, and Caravaggio. The art world is a much dirtier, nastier business than you might expect. Tony Tetro, one of the most renowned art forgers in history, will make you question every masterpiece you’ve ever seen in a museum, gallery, or private collection. Tetro’s “Rembrandts,” “Caravaggios,” “Miros,” and hundreds of other works now hang on walls around the globe. In 2019, it was revealed that Prince Charles received into his collection a Picasso, Dali, Monet, and Chagall, insuring them for over 200 million pounds, only to later discover that they’re actually “Tetros.” And the kicker? In Tony’s words: “Even if some tycoon finds out his Rembrandt is a fake, what’s he going to do, turn it in? Now his Rembrandt just became motel art. Better to keep quiet and pass it on to the next guy. It’s the way things work for guys like me.” The Prince Charles scandal is the subject of a forthcoming feature documentary with Academy Award nominee Kief Davidson and coauthor Giampiero Ambrosi, in cooperation with Tetro. Throughout Tetro’s career, his inimitable talent has been coupled with a reckless penchant for drugs, fast cars, and sleeping with other con artists. He was busted in 1989 and spent four years in court and one in prison. His voice—rough, wry, deeply authentic—is nothing like the high society he swanned around in, driving his Lamborghini or Ferrari, hobnobbing with aristocrats by day, and diving into debauchery when the lights went out. He’s a former furniture store clerk who can walk around in Caravaggio’s shoes, become Picasso or Monet, with an encyclopedic understanding of their paint, their canvases, their vision. For years, he hid it all in an unassuming California townhouse with a secret art room behind a full-length mirror. (Press #* on his phone and the mirror pops open.) Pairing up with coauthor Ambrosi, one of the investigative journalists who uncovered the 2019 scandal, Tetro unveils the art world in an epic, alluring, at times unbelievable, but all-true narrative.

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Book SynopsisCountless dollars of art are stolen or looted every year, yet governments often consider art theft a luxury problem. With limited public law enforcement, what prevents thieves, looters and organised criminal gangs from flooding the market with stolen art? How can theft victims get justice – even decades after their loss? What happens if the legal definition of a good title is at odds with what is morally right? Enter the Art Loss Register, a private database dedicated to tracking down stolen artworks. Blocking the sale of disputed artworks creates a space for private resolutions – often amicable and sometimes entertainingly adversarial. This book is based on ten cases from the Art Loss Register’s archive, showing how restitutions were negotiated, how priceless objects were retrieved from the economic underworld and how thieves and fences end up in court and behind bars. A fascinating guide to the dark side of the global art market.

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Book SynopsisâA fascinating and deeply rewarding bookâ Adam Zamoyski, Daily Telegraph Napoleonâs Plunder chronicles one of the most spectacular art appropriation campaigns in history and, in doing so, sheds new light on the complex origins of what was once called the MusÃe NapolÃon, now known as the Louvre. It centres on the story of Napoleonâs theft of Paolo Veroneseâs Wedding Feast at Cana, a vast, sublime canvas that in 1797 the French army tore from a wall of the monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. Feast was just one of Napoleonâs spoils of war, which he claimed for the French nation and displayed in a public museum â the Louvre. He filled the former palace of the French kings with his acquisitions, and Europe flocked to Paris and hailed the Louvre as the greatest museum in the world. Did he take it for himself? Or for France? Or for the world at large? Saltzman interweaves the stories of Napoleonâs military campaigns, uncovering the treaties through which he obtained his looTrade Review'A fascinating and deeply rewarding book, which is underpinned by wide research and an impressive grasp of techniques and technicalities … A delight to read' - Adam Zamoyski, Daily Telegraph'A compelling account of the fragility of beauty before avarice … Saltzman’s thrilling blend of historical narrative and art criticism is fitting testimony to its enduring greatness' - Paul Lay, The Times'Wonderful' - Andrew Marr, Andrew Marr, Start the Week, R4'[Saltzman’s] perceptive book traces Napoleon’s systematic gathering of artistic treasures as he conquered Italy, focusing on Veronese’s masterpiece … An absorbing story of conflict and culture' - The Economist'The fascination of Saltzman’s splendid book lies to a significant degree in her subtle contrast of the tumultuous immensity of Bonaparte’s aspirations and the serenity of Veronese’s painting … Thoroughly at ease in the Venetian Renaissance and French imperial worlds, Cynthia Saltzman tells this story with Veronesian panache' - Jonathan Keates, Literary Review'[An] absorbing and chilling narrative' - The Times, Art Books of the Year 2021Table of ContentsIntroduction: “The theft of Veronese’s Feast” 1. “Send Me a List of the Pictures, Statues, Cabinets and Curiosities.” 2. “Do Not Fear the French Armies Will Not Respect Venetian Neutrality.” 3. “Master Paolo ... Will ... Not Spare Any Expense for the Finest Ultramarine.” 4. “He is Rich in Plans.” 5. “The Museum Must Demonstrate the Nation’s Great Riches.” 6. “Draw as Much as You Can from Venetian Territory.” 7. “The Pope will Deliver ... One Hundred Paintings Busts, Vases or Statues.” 8. “I’m on a Path a Thousand Times More Glorious.” 9. “The Republic of Venice will Surrender... 20 Paintings and 600 Manuscripts.” 10. “In the Church of S. George, No. 6. The Wedding Feast at Cana.” 11. “We ... Have Received from Citizen Pietro Edwards.” 12. “The Safest Way is to Send Them on a Frigate with 32 Canons.” 13. “The Seam will be Unstitched.” 14. “The Revolution ... is Finished.” 15. “You Enter a Gallery—such a gallery. But such a gallery!!!” Louvre 1801-1802 16. “This One Besides Nature Doesn’t Look to Have Been Painted.” 17. “The Transparency of Air ... Place[s] Gros beside Tintoretto and Paul Veronese” 18. “This Beautiful Work Reminds Us of the Picture by Paul Veronese.” 19. “I Succeeded ... in Packing Most of the Pieces of Small Size and Great Value.” 20. “The Only Thing to Do Is to Burn Them!” 21. “This Foreboding Painting... Seems to Summon the Eye from All Directions.” 22. “The Masterpieces of the Arts Now Belong to Us.” 23. “We Are At Last Beginning to Drag Forth from This Great Cavern of Stolen Goods the Precious Objects of Art.” Epilogue: Veronese 2020

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Book SynopsisThe stunning debut novel framed by envy, lust and corruption at the heart of London's eighteenth century art worldTrade Review'An assured and enjoyable debut that asks some uncomfortable questions about women's erasure from the history of art' The Times'Written with a detail and often a lyricism that makes me go back and reread for the pleasure of it. I am drawn into the history and vibrancy of colour as never before. I see more intensely, and that is a great gift to have been given' Anne Perry, international bestselling author of the Monk and Pitt series'A most intriguing tale of how the world of high art was convulsed by deceit, desire and delusion' Victoria Glendinning'A remarkable true story of vanity and delusion, which Halliburton turns into a gripping and only partly fictional whodunnit... brings the artists and their art to colourful life and brushes in streaks of feminism, via Mary Wollstonecraft, as well as dark shadows of the French Revolution' John Spurling, winner of the Walter Scott prize for Historical Fiction for The Ten Thousand Things'As if stepping into the frame a sensual, intricate and richly textured painting. The novel is a fine achievement by a serious and talented writer' Wendy Wallace, author of The Painted Bridge'Utterly absorbing... Halliburton builds up the layers of deception, ambition and scandal into a shimmering, fully textured portrait of Georgian London with all its gloss, dross, glamour and corruption' Imogen Robertson, author of Instruments of Darknes

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Book SynopsisFor as long as historical annals have been kept, they have recorded the frauds and fakes that have been imposed upon innocent dupes. Perhaps the earliest Christian story of all is that which tells of the deception that Jacob practised on his unsuspecting father Abraham, pretending to be his brother Esau; and today the theft of identity is reported to be the most rapidly spreading crime. And throughout the ages works of art and literature, coinage, and documents of all kinds have been forged for profit, personal status – and even out of pure mischief. Fakes, Scams and Forgeries details many of the most notorious acts of forgery, fraud and fakery that have taken place over the centuries, describing how they were perpetrated, their acceptance by those who considered themselves experts, and how – often after many years – they were eventually detected. As well as providing entertaining and in-depth profiles of famous forgers and legendary frauds, the text deals with the many modern scientific techniques that have been developed for the examination of suspect materials.Table of ContentsSection 1: Funny Money The production of counterfeit coinage is as old as the first introduction of money: archeologists have discovered forged coins that were manufactured as much as three thousand years ago. The practice continued well into the twentieth century, but has now been largely superseded by the printing of counterfeit travellers’ cheques, banknotes, and stamps. After a brief survey of coin counterfeiting (and the penalties the counterfeiters suffered), this section will detail the techniques employed in forging security documents, from the earliest fake banknotes, laboriously engraved by hand, to the modern use of photolithography. Treasury experts have been unremitting in their attempts to develop documents that could not be copied, such as employing special papers, watermarks, the use of more than one printing process, and the incorporation of metallic strips and foils; but the forgers have been equally ingenious in finding ways round these obstacles, producing banknotes and cheques that look and feel, superficially, like ‘the real thing’. A selection of outstanding cases will provide details of their methods. This section also covers cryptocurrency. Among major stories covered in this section will be: Artur Alves Reis – forger of 60 million escudos of Portuguese banknotes Charles Black – printed $2 million a month Stephen Jorey – credited with £50 million forged notes Section 2: Fake Art Although there is evidence that some works of antiquity, believed at the time to be the work of a well- known sculptor, were in fact produced by another, unknown, hand, the deliberate production of fake work really dates from the seventeenth century, when collectors began to buy up art treasures from dealers or others, many of whom were far from scrupulous. This is, in fact, a distinctly grey area. At that time, many artists employed assistants and apprentices in their studios, themselves putting in perhaps only a few finishing touches, and signing the work as their own. Is a painting by Botticelli, for example, to which he added only a few folds of drapery, to be considered ‘a genuine Botticelli’? The plot thickens when another artist produces an original work – but exactly in the style of a well-known artist. This is a fake, and experts down the years have quarrelled over the question of attribution. Should the faking artist sign the work with the other artist’s name, or make a copy of an existing work, this is an act of forgery. And should he then sell it, or a dealer knowingly offer it for sale, fraud, a criminal offence, has been committed. Works of art covered in this section: The figure of sleeping Cupid, allegedly by Michelangelo The fake sculptures of Giovanni Bastianini The ‘antique’ coins of Carl Wilhelm Becker The ‘restored’ frescoes of Lothar Malskat Among the modern fakers and forgers detailed: Van Meegeren – and the ‘Vermeers’ he sold to the Nazis Tom Keating – and his ‘Sexton Blakes’ Elmyr de Hory – probably the most successful art faker of modern times Section 3: False Papers The ‘discovery’ of unknown works of literature has a long history. William Henry Ireland produced a wealth of Shakespeare documents, including two new dramas, in 1795. John Payne Collier was another forger of documents related to Shakespeare. Earlier, William Lauder had claimed that Milton’s Paradise Lost had been plagiarised from the work of other poets, much of which he invented. In 1773, James Macpherson published his ‘translations’ from the Gaelic of the poet Ossian, which achieved great popular acclaim. About the same time, Rudolf Erich Raspe published the first edition of his imaginary Adventures of Baron Munchausen. But many of these were fakes, rather than forgeries. The most notorious forger of antique documents was Thomas J. Wise, a distinguished late nineteenth century collector of old books. Three years before his death in 1937 – and after his collection had been sold to the British Museum – it was revealed that many of the books he had sold to other collectors were blatant forgeries. Denis Vrain-Lucas (1818-88) faked a huge quantity of autograph papers, ranging from a letter from Alexander the Great to Aristotle, and a letter from Mary Magdalene, to a ‘proof’ that Blaise Pascal had discovered gravitation fifty years before Isaac Newton. More recent forgers of documents – with huge sums expected for their sale: Konni Kujau – forger of the Hitler diaries Clifford Irving – forger of the memoirs of millionaire Howard Hughes Mark Hoffman – forger of Mormon documents, and the Oath of a Freeman Section 4: Phony Prehistory The most famous fraud in paleontology is the Piltdown skull, which for fifty years was believed to represent a vital ‘missing link’ between the apes and modern mankind. There have been others, however. During the nineteenth century, itinerant Edward Simpson, who became known as ‘Flint Jack’, sold fake flint arrowheads, primitive icons, seals and inscribed stones. It is relatively recently that a set of cave paintings, seemingly prehistoric, was revealed as the work of modern schoolboys. And a decision has yet to be reached about the strange hoard unearthed at Glozel, France, in 1924. Section 5: Bogus Identity The cases of Martin Guerre and Kaspar Hauser have puzzled historians for centuries. More recently, the claim to the Tichborne estate, and the possibility that Anna Andersen could be the Grand Duchess Anastasia, have been the subjects of innumerable books and several films. There are many other similar cases. This section will also look into the matter of identity theft, which has recently attracted widespread press attention. How easily it can be carried out is exemplified in Frederick Forsyth’s novel The Day of the Jackal. Section 6: The Confidence Tricksters False identities are often adopted by confidence tricksters. Among the principal cases to be described: ‘Count’ Victor Lustig - the man who sold the Eiffel Tower, twice. Harry Domela – who successfully passed himself off as the Kaiser’s grandson ‘Yellow Kid’ Weil – whose best-known ‘scam’ became the film The Sting Cyril Hoskins – who became the Lama Lobsang Rampa Hayden Haitana – changed the identity, not of himself, but of a racehorse Section 7: Faking for a Cause Not all fakes and forgeries are made for profit, or even for fun. Some are made deliberately to support a cause or a belief. During World War II, for example, the opposing sides produced all sorts of forged documents, some to protect agents working undercover, and some aimed at undermining enemy morale. Then there are the religious forgeries, from the ‘Protocols of Zion’ to the Turin Shroud. This section also looks at the Cottingley Fairies, a hoax perpetrated by two young girls, which completely fooled Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes. Section 8: Suspect Science A smattering of technical terms can often persuade the man-in-the-street of the most outrageous claims. Albert Abrams, whose ‘Dynamizer’ and ‘Oscilloclast’ made him over $2 million in the 1920s, was described by the American Medical Association as ‘the dean of all 20th century charlatans’. And there was the mysterious ‘black box’ of the 1950s, among many others. More serious, however, is when a qualified scientist fakes his experimental records – possibly the most notorious case being that of Paul Kammerer and the midwife toad. This section also covers Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos scandal.

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Book SynopsisDebates about the restitution of cultural objects have been ongoing for many decades, but have acquired a new urgency recently with the intensification of scrutiny of European museum collections acquired in the colonial period. Alexander Herman’s fascinating and accessible book provides an up-to-date overview of the restitution debate with reference to a wide range of current controversies. This is a book about the return of cultural treasures: why it is demanded, how it is negotiated and where it might lead. The uneven relationships of the past have meant that some of the greatest treasures of the world currently reside in places far removed from where they were initially created and used. Today we are witnessing the ardent attempts to put right those past wrongs: a light has begun to shine on the items looted from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas and the Pacific, and the scales of history, according to some, are in need of significant realignment. This debate forces us to confront an often dark history, and the difficult application of our contemporary conceptions of justice to instances from the past. Should we allow plundered artefacts to rest where they lie – often residing there by the imbalances of history? This book asks whether we are entering a new 'restitution paradigm', one that could have an indelible impact on the cultural sector - and the rest of the world - for many years to come. It provides essential reading for all those working in the art and museum worlds and beyond.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. The Never-Ending Dispute: The Parthenon Marbles; 2. Models for Return: Repatriation of Indigenous Material; 3. Legacies of Conflict: Museums and Imperial Violence; 4. The 75-Year Shadow: Restitution of Art Looted During the Holocaust; 5. Stopping Traffic: Ending the Illicit Artefact Trade; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography; Index

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Book SynopsisAt the end of World War II, the US Office of Military Government for Germany and Bavaria, through its Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives division, was responsible for the repatriation of most of the tens of thousands of artworks looted by the Nazis in the countries they had occupied. With the help of the US Army's Monuments Men-the name given to a hand-picked group of art historians and museum professionals commissioned for this important duty-massive numbers of objects were retrieved from their wartime hiding places and inventoried for repatriation. Iris Lauterbach's fascinating history documents the story of the Allies' Central Collecting Point (CCP), set up in the former Nazi Party headquarters at Koenigsplatz in Munich, where the confiscated works were transported to be identified and sorted for restitution. This book presents her archival research on the events, people, new facts, and intrigue, with meticulous attention to the official systems, frameworks, and logistical and bureaucratic enterprise of the Munich CCP in the years from 1945 to 1949. She uncovers the stories of the people who worked there at a time of lingering political suspicions; narrates the research, conservation, and restitution process; and investigates how the works of art were managed and returned to their owners.

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Book SynopsisIn May 2016, Jon S. Dellandrea came into possession of a box of the last effects of an obscure artist, William Firth MacGregor. The contents of the box chronicled a major, and long forgotten, trial involving forgeries of the art of Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven.The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case takes readers back to 1962, a time when forgeries were turning up on gallery walls, in auction houses, and (unwittingly) being hung in the homes of luminaries across Canada. Inspector James Erskine, enlisting the help of A.J. Casson, the youngest living member of the Group of Seven, set out to discover where the forgeries were coming from. Fifty years later, Dellandrea follows Erskine’s hunt to the end, uncovering the masterminds behind the forgeries.Lavishly illustrated with reproductions and archival images, The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case unravels the mystery of the greatest art fraud trial in Canadian history. Along the way, it also tells the story of a talented artist whose career might have been so very different.Trade Review“Was the last Group of Seven painting you looked at a fake? Quite possibly, according to Jon S. Dellandrea. Packed with art, history, case examples, careful examinations, and jaw-dropping details about how crime has been part of the Canadian cultural ecosystem, The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case reveals why for decades scholars, auction houses, galleries, and museums have turned a blind eye to felonies in plain sight.” -- Sara Angel, Executive Director, The Art Canada Institute“The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case reads like the detective story it actually is. It even boasts a real-life police inspector as the protagonist who delves dutifully into a subject that he initially knows practically nothing about but becomes a bonafide art expert and the hero of the hour. Yet, not even the inspector could supply a definitive answer to just who the forger was ... It is left to Dellandrea to point the finger, following his years of painstaking research among dusty archives and ramshackle attics, tracking down anyone who had even the briefest recollection of the case as well as those involved in it.” -- Kate Barlow * Oakville News *“The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case combines detailed scholarship, solid journalistic research, and engaging personal stories in an enjoyable and enlightening read. Leavened with flashes of wit and interesting contextual side paths, Dellandrea’s book, which reads like just what he describes it as — a labour of love — is highly recommended reading for anyone who is interested in the rewards and the pitfalls of collecting Canadian ‘blue-chip’ art.” -- Ray Cronin * Billie *

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Book SynopsisItalian Forgers takes an unorthodox approach to the fascinating topic of art forgery, focusing not on art forgery per se, but on the major forgery scandals that shifted the Italian art market in response to constant, and often intense, demand for Italian objects. By focusing on power dynamics that both precipitated forgery scandals and forged Italian cultural identities, this book connects the debates and discussions about three well-known Italian forgersGiovanni Bastianini, Icilio Joni, and Alceo Dossenato anchor and investigate the mechanics of the Italian art market from unification through the fascist era. Carol Helstosky examines foreign accounts of transactions and Italian writings about the art market. The actions and words of Italian dealers illustrate how the Italian art and antiquities market was an undeniably modern industry, on par with tourism in terms of its contribution to the Italian economy and to understandings of Italian identity. These accounts also reveal how dealers, artists, go-betweens, guides, and restorers worked to not only meet the intense demand for Italian products but also to develop highly sophisticated business practices to maintain financial stability and respond to shifts in demand consciously (but not always conscientiously). Italian Forgers weaves a compelling narrative about the history of Italian identity, forgery, and the value of the past. As a result, Helstosky brings historical perspective to the study of art forgery and art fraud. She reveals how historical circumstances and structural imbalances of cultural power shaped the market for art and antiquities and amplified incidents of art deception and forgery scandals.

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Book SynopsisForgeries are an omnipresent part of our culture and closely related to traditional ideas of authenticity, legality, authorship, creativity, and innovation. Based on the concept of mimesis, this volume illustrates how forgeries must be understood as autonomous aesthetic practices - creative acts in themselves - rather than as mere rip-offs of an original work of art. The proceedings bring together research from different scholarly fields. They focus on various mimetic practices such as pseudo-translations, imposters, identity theft, and hoaxes in different artistic and historic contexts. By opening up the scope of the aesthetic implications of fakes, this anthology aims to consolidate forging as an autonomous method of creation.

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Book SynopsisThis text detects the background to the violin fraud and explains how the law applies to it. Much of what is said applies to the antique world generally, but there are specific and pressing problems relating to string instruments with which this book is particularly concerned.Trade ReviewEssential reading for anyone who is involved in the business of musical instruments in any way, and recommended reading for those who own or purchase instruments. * The Galpin Society Journal *This book is a praiseworthy effort to shed some light on the murkier side of the violin trade. Harvey has done a commendable job of evaluating analogous cases from the art world to determine how courts might decide cases involving instruments. Violin Fraud provides an excellent overview of the pertinent legal issues for anyone contemplating the purchase or sale of a fine instrument. * Notes *Table of ContentsPART I ; PART II (CARLA SHAPREAU)

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Book SynopsisThe Art of the Con tells the stories of some of history's most notorious yet untold cons. The Art of the Con will also take the reader into the investigations that led to the capture of the con men, who oftentimes return back to the world of crime.

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Book Synopsis''Absolutely fascinating . . . A must-read for anyone enthralled by the value and integrity of books'' Janice Hallett, author of The Alperton Angels''Hugely entertaining . . . a propulsive if unlikely thriller, whose plot hinges on typographical minutiae and sherry parties'' LRBA true detective story from the age of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers: the literary crime that fooled the world - and the daring young booksellers who uncovered itLondon, 1932. Thomas James Wise is the toast of the literary establishment. A prominent collector and businessman, he is renowned on both sides of the Atlantic for unearthing the most stunning first editions and bringing them to market. Pompous and fearsome, with friends in high places, he is one of the most powerful men in the field of rare books.One night, two young booksellers - one a dishevelled former communist, the other a martini-swilling fan of det

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Book SynopsisThis collection of 11 essays by leading literary studies and cultural studies scholars examines the double meaning of the word forge - to create or to form, on the one hand, and to make falsely, on the other.Table of ContentsCONTENTS List of Figures Preface PART ONE: Forging Nations 1. Forging Truth in Medieval England 2. Forging a Past: The Sybilline Books and the Making of Rome 3. Forging Czechs: The Reinvention of National Identity in Bohemian Lands 4. Eclectic Fabrication: St. Petersburg and the Problem of Imperial Architectural Style 5. Forging Catalonia, or The Blankness of Dali PART TWO: Forging Selves 6. The Art of Forging Music and Musicians 7. Jean-Etienne Liotard's Envelopes of Self 8. Wrestling with Representation: Reforging Images of the Artist in the Russian Avant-garde 9. After the Death of the Author: The Fabrication of Helen Demidenko 10. Facts and Writing: Problems of Memory in Recent Memoirs 11. The Fascination of a Fake: The Hitler Diaries

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Book SynopsisA classic now back in print and enriched with new imagery, James J. Rorimer’s riveting first-hand account takes readers on a treasure hunt as he follows the Allied troops across France and Germany to save Nazi-stolen masterpieces of art.James J. Rorimer, former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, became a leading figure in the art recovery unit known as the Monuments Men, an elite group imbedded in the US Army, who risked their lives during World War II to save Europe’s greatest artworks from Hitler’s grasp. In the film Monuments Men, Matt Damon’s character is based on Rorimer as he embarks on the world’s most dangerous real-life hunt for stolen artworks with the goal of locating, seizing, and returning the works to their original holders, including museums and private collectors.   This new edition of a book first published in 1950 includesTrade Review"...It is a vivid boots-on-the-ground memoir that puts you at the center of the action...At the same time the book has the broad historical context of the best scholarly studies. "Monuments Man" is an utterly extraordinary—and extraordinarily important—book." —WALL STREET JOURNAL“Monuments Man provides a moving and thought-provoking account of Rorimer’s work and the atrocious circumstances in which he and his colleagues were operating. But reading his account anew, it really brought home to me the degree to which it is thanks to the rapid actions and dedication of Rorimer and his colleagues that so many treasures were saved from flooding salt mines, abandoned railroad trucks, fires, appalling humidity and inappropriate storage conditions, and rampant looting by all sides. And, equally, thanks to their scholarship and dedication that these objects were then catalogued and processed and returned to the collections and homes from which they had been taken by the Nazis. Rorimer’s book provides a moving testimony that if wars and mass murder can be unleashed by a single evil person, aided and abetted by a corrupted political system, the antidote to that tyranny is provided by brave individuals who devote their lives to doing the right thing. Rorimer was one of those men.” —Thomas Campbell, former Director and CEO of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and current Director and CEO of Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

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Book SynopsisThe story of art is integral to the story of the rise of Nazi Germany. Adolf Hitler, an artist himself, was obsessed with art--in particular, the aesthetic of a purified regime, scoured of "degenerate" influences that characterized Germany during the 1920s and 1930s.The Germany of Cabaret, hyperinflation, and Rosa Luxemburg was a society in turmoil, and among those who reveled in the discord were a generation of artists for whom art was a political weapon. They were fierce, inspired, and rebellious, but to Hitler, they were anathema. When they came to power in 1933, Hitler and Goebbels set their aesthetic vision into motion and removed degenerate art from German life: artists fled the country; museums were purged; and great works disappeared, only a fraction of which were rediscovered at the end of the Second World War. Most remained in garrets and cellars, the last hostages of the era of the Reich. In 2014, 1290 works by Chagall, Picasso, Matisse, Otto Dix, Max Beckmann and others were rediscovered. In Hitler's Last Hostages, Mary Lane brilliantly tells the story of art and the Third Reich, and the fate of Germany's great era of artists as they fought to survive the Nazi era.

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Book SynopsisWhat should be done about cultural property confiscated in the Soviet Occupation Zone and the GDR? This legal appraisal commissioned by the Deutsches Zentrum Kulturgutverluste (German Lost Art Foundation) enables public institutions and their funding providers to assess the legal position of collection items seized in the Soviet Occupation Zone and the GDR, and identifies legal options for action. Thomas Finkenauer and Jan Thiessen present a compendium classifying 13 case groups along with the historical circumstances of their confiscation and the legal consequences. The report also serves provenance research through this overview, which has not been available in such a form before. First legal compendium on the confiscation of cultural property in the Soviet Occupation Zone and the GDR Legal analysis and regulatory options for action Reference work for provenance research

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Book SynopsisThrough much of its history, Italy was Europe's heart of the arts, an artistic playground for foreign elites and powers who bought, sold, and sometimes plundered countless artworks and antiquities. This loss of artifacts looted by other nations once put Italy at an economic and political disadvantage compared with northern European states. Now, more than any other country, Italy asserts control over its cultural heritage through a famously effective art-crime squad that has been the inspiration of novels, movies, and tv shows. In its efforts to bring their cultural artifacts home, Italy has entered into legal battles against some of the world's major museums, including the Getty, New York's Metropolitan Museum, and the Louvre. It has turned heritage into patrimony capitala powerful and controversial convergence of art, money, and politics. In 2006, the then-president of Italy declared his country to be the world's greatest cultural power. With Ruling Culture, Fiona Greenland traces Trade Review"The famous Art Squad police unit is pitted against thieves and smugglers in this broad-ranging study, which shows how Italy has transformed its rich heritage into global cultural capital." * Apollo, "Off the shelf" *"In this thought-provoking book, Greenland walks us through a couple of centuries of evolving cultural heritage policy in Italy. . . . The book offers a ground-breaking discussion of developing Italian policy for cultural heritage, ending with the inevitable neo-liberal entanglements of private capital, but it also contains a wealth of raw material and pointers for further research." -- Neil Brodie * Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Book Reviews *"Fiona Greenland’s Ruling Culture: Art Police, Tomb Robbers, and the Rise of Cultural Power in Italy is a meticulous and insightful work inviting the reader to look closer at the construction of Italian cultural power . . . This book is a model in terms of methodology and analysis for its depth and kaleidoscopic approach. It can also serve as a way to reflect on western cultural powers and legal systems in place for the preservation of artefacts and archaeological practices." * Cultural Sociology *“In this beautifully written and insightful study of the mutual entanglement between Italy’s national art police squad and the deeply entrenched tradition of tomb robbing, Greenland’s portrayal of the robbers—in whom Italians see heroic tricksters and traitorous villains by turns—is both sharply analytical and descriptively captivating. She deftly articulates historical and legal detail with a rattling good story.” -- Michael Herzfeld, author of Evicted from Eternity: The Restructuring of Modern Rome“Ruling Culture is groundbreaking. Greenland addresses the problem of how culture is used by states and various non-state actors to foster allegiance to nations, investigating culture as a key building block of national identity and making a convincing case for the difference between cultural power and ideological power.” -- Richard Lachmann, author of First Class Passengers on a Sinking Ship: Elite Politics and the Decline of Great Powers“Ruling Culture provides a detailed and thought-provoking analysis of the construction of Italian national identity. It promises to be a major contribution to our understanding of Italian national identity, the institutional and legal dimensions of heritage, and the disciplinary history of archaeology. Greenland has written a first-rate piece of work and a valuable scholarly contribution.” -- Joshua Arthurs, author of Excavating Modernity: The Roman Past in Fascist Italy"Tomb robbing is not the typical sociological fare, and thanks to Fiona Greenland’s expertise and beautiful writing, Ruling Culture: Art Police, Tomb Robbers, and the Rise of Cultural Power in Italy emerges as a fresh, fascinating work of cultural analysis." * Contemporary Sociology *"[Greenland's] methods and analysis reflect her positionality as a social scientist with a deep appreciation for and understanding of the humanities. Ruling Culture is a model for how to incorporate multiple sources of data within sociological analysis." * American Journal of Sociology *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The World’s Greatest Cultural Power 1 Art Squad Agonistes 2 The American Price 3 Distributing Sovereignty: From Fascism to the Art Squad 4 Tomb Robbers and Cultural Power from Below 5 Made in Italy 6 Farewell to the Tomb Robber Acknowledgments Appendix: Methodology Notes References Index

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