In the notes there is mention of a Washington Storage in Miami, Ned Mathews or his brother (see below). Upon research there is a Washington Storage that was an art storage warehouse and was owned by Ned Mathews and his brother. Click here to view original Sunbiz for Washington Storage

We thought this might be the art storage warehouse the fire occurred at. Remember Mr. Koch sold Mary artwork with damage and said the damage was from the artwork being saved from a fire at an art storage warehouse.

The Washington Storage warehouse was used to store artwork and collectibles. A high end storage warehouse for the wealthy. Their largest tenant was Mitchel (Mikey) Wolfson he went on to purchase it and it became the Wolfsonian Museum, it is now owned by Florida International University view wiki.  

Suzanne was also researching to find this Ed Koch person in Miami. Maybe that is where they are from. Not knowing at the time anything about the billionaire Koch brothers.

After finding the Ed Koch name it coincidentally connected to art related businesses, the addresses used by Mr. Koch connects to the MOCA art museum in Miami.

According to what Mr. Koch told Mary, there was a museum in the Miami area that Mr. Koch and his mother were involved in. He even showed her a newspaper article with the city presenting him and his mother an award.

The connection of the Ed Koch name is connecting to the right places. When art appears in the searches directly connected to this person. One would think they are on the right track.

The Koch name connects to

• Art Restoration (document here) - Ed Koch (Vice President & Secretary) - 12320 NE 8TH AVE, North Miami, FL (view on map)
• International Art Trading (document here) - 12530 NE 7th Avenue, North Miami, FL 33161 (view on map)
• The Art Restoration address is in the block owned by
  The North Miami Museum and Art Center (view 1991 Sunbiz document - note the name Ellyn Robinson - those doing their research will connect to Mary Robinson Koch) - 12340 N.E. 8th Ave, North Miami, FL 33161 (view on map)
  Now known as MOCA Museum Current Address - 770 NE 125th St, North Miami, FL 33161 (view on map)
  

Just to remind you that the handwritten notes shown above are what lead us down the Miami path. All paved with art work. 

• A Mr. Koch connects to the art world in Miami (see documents below). These connections, when placed on a map (click here to view map), are located in the block owned by what is now the Museum of Contemporary Art in Miami.
• Some of the artwork had damage, and Mr. Koch told Mary the damage was from the artwork being saved from a fire at an art storage warehouse.
  • It was thought that the fire occurred in Miami or at the Washington Storage art warehouse.
  • Turns out the fire occurred in London at an art storage warehouse on October 7, 1991.
  • Most of the items destroyed in the 1991 art fire belonged to a Mr. Koch. 
  • Just a few weeks later, a Mr. Koch arrives in Mary's life, wanting to teach her about the art world.  Selling her artwork from an art fire. 

A statement from this Boston.com newspaper article 
“But in late April 1994, the museum received an overture that Gardner officials regard as the most promising lead ever in the case. An anonymous letter writer said he could facilitate the return of the paintings in exchange for $2.6 million and full immunity from prosecution for the thieves and those who held the paintings. Because the overture involved a request for immunity from prosecution, the museum turned the letter, postmarked in New York, over to the FBI.

The letter writer showed considerable knowledge of the paintings and of the international art world. He said the stolen paintings were being stored in archival conditions, and had not yet been sold. But, he warned, the museum should agree swiftly to the exchange because the paintings were being held in a country where a buyer who did not know they had been stolen could claim legal ownership.”  

Remember above we showed a connect to a Mr. Koch with "International Art Trading".

• An interview with Charles Koch discussing his brother Fred's character (VanityFair.com) 
• Frederick R. Koch is the Luckiest Man in America (Esquire.com)
• Koch Brothers Family History (MotherJones.com)
• The Curse On The Koch Brothers (Fortune.com)
• Brother vs Brother Koch's Long Legal Feud (NyTimes.com)

Alexander Calder | Camille Bombois |  Édouard Manet | Jane Peterson | Jim Casssel | Kees van Dongen |  Pablo Picasso | Vincent van Gogh

Stolen Charles Darwin Notebooks

© 1991-2024 The Artwork Story, All rights reserved.

You have received this email because you have subscribed to The Artwork Story as . If you no longer wish to receive emails please unsubscribe.