After years of research, putting together the information/facts from my mother’s story regarding her artwork and the artwork itself, the March 18, 1990 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Art Heist has been solved.
Frederick Robinson Koch and John Olsen committed the heist.
This was reported by Suzanne (me) on June 21, 2012 to Mr. Robert Wittman. On March 18, 2013 (23 years after the heist or 9 months after my email stating the names of the 2 men) the FBI announced they now know the names of the 2 men but refused to release their names. Note they state in the article the artwork moved through Philadelphia, Frederick owned a home in PA – click here.
Imagine researching art encounters that your mother was part of and one day you find yourself connecting to these statements…
5 Pen & Pencil Drawings
A Manet Painting
A Man in a Hat
A Bird Finial
& MORE!
What if that connection was to the Largest Art Heist in History.
No way... RIGHT?
3/18/1990 Isabella Stewart Gardner Art Heist
Stolen:
- 5 Pen & Pencils by Edgar Degas
- Manet painting of a man in a hat
- 3 Rembrandts
- Govaert Flinck painting
- Vermeer painting
- Bird Finial
- Chinese Beaker
Click image below for larger view.
No way art encounters could collide with not ONE but TWO art crimes ALL occurring in less than 24 months of each other...
More Connections Below:
Another connection I made is from a newspaper article – http://archive.boston.com/news/specials/gardner_heist/heist/
“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.”
Art Restoration
International Art Trading
MOCA
The Ed Koch addresses in the documents come up as being in the block owned by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Miami.
- March 18, 1990 – Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum.
- Trying to prove – Heist done by Frederick R. Koch and John Olsen.
- December 21, 1990 – MARY Robinson Koch passes away.
- She is the mother of Frederick R. Koch. My mother’s name is also Mary.
- September 21, 1991 – Robert Donati is murdered by the mafia, because of art heist.
- October 7, 1991 – James Bourlet & Sons London warehouse art storage fire.
- Trying to prove Fire done by Frederick R. Koch and/or John Olsen.
- November 1991 – Stranger arrives in my mother’s (MARY) life and begins to sell her artwork. We still have some of the artwork and hand written notes between them.
- Trying to prove – this was Frederick R. Koch.
- February 1992 – My mother visits Sotheby’s they authenticate the Snowy Egret, Jane Peterson painting.
- March 1992 – Stranger departs in hospital scene with a newspaper obituary, but turns out he is alive.
- April 1992 – Sotheby’s signs contract with my mother on the Jane Peterson painting.
- 1994 Someone writes a letter to the museum trying to return the stolen artwork and claiming they have knowledge of international art transactions. My Miami research connects to a company called International Art Trading. They request to communicate through the newspaper.
- Trying to prove – Frederick R. Koch wrote this letter.
Suzanne has been actively making claims of solving the heist since June 21, 2012 and the fire January 24, 2011. To Robert Wittman and Julian Radcliffe. Discovered Mr. Koch was Frederick R. Koch August of 2010. So nearly 14 years…
