The Map Thief

by Michael Blanding

  Newman was asked . . . copy was missing?: Newman interview; Alison Leigh Cowan, “Thefts rattle the sedate world of rare maps,” The New York Times, October 3, 2005.

  “not a bag lady”: Alison Leigh Cowan, “A rival is charged, and a map dealer wants to say, ‘Told you so,” The New York Times, October 20, 2005.

  faxed a list of maps: Kit Schmeisser, fax to Boston Police, October 26, 2005.

  portolan chart of the Atlantic: Grim and Kelleher interviews.

  immediately seeing a map: “Doncker, Hendrick [Blaeu, Willem Janzzon], West-Indische Paskaert . . . 1659,” Richard B. Arkway, Inc., Catalog 59, 2003.

  Grim went searching: Hendrick Doncker, “West Indische Paskaert,” 1655, Boston Public Library, Map 130.1655; Grim interview; catalog card on microfiche and call slip in LMC archives.

  “sketchy information from the FBI”: Ron Grim, e-mail to Tony Campbell, June 22, 2006.

  Sterling Memorial Library had no records . . . maps Smiley traded in: Kaye, Miles, Parrish, Reese, and Schroeder interviews with the author; list of missing maps, undated, Sterling Memorial Library Map Collection archives; Kathrin Day Lassila, “Paper trail: close-ups—and some recent history of Sterling’s rare maps,” Yale Alumni Magazine, July–August 2007; Ross Goldberg, “Librarians say more maps are missing,” Yale Daily News, Sunday, July 30, 2006; Martineau, “Rare documents going digital”; Kim Martineau, “Gift to help Yale preserve its maps,” Hartford Courant, August 17, 2006. (Fred Musto did not return requests for comment.)

  included only eleven: Plea Agreement as to Edward Forbes Smiley III (3), US v. Smiley, Exhibit A: Smiley Admissions.

  olive jacket: Photos by Bob Childs/Associated Press, Laura Beach/Antiques and the Arts Weekly, June 22, 2006.

  ready to make a plea . . . “Guilty! Guilty!”: Information as to Edward Forbes Smiley, III (1), US v. Smiley; Plea Agreement as to Edward Forbes Smiley III (3), US v. Smiley; Transcript of Guilty Plea (6), US v. Smiley, transcribed by Sharon Montini, June 22, 2006; US Attorney, letter to Daniel Linsky, Boston Police, June 26, 2006; Alison Leigh Cowan, “For dealer, stolen maps point way to prison,” The New York Times, June 23, 2006; Randall Beach, “Dealer guilty in $3M theft of 97 maps,” New Haven Register, June 23, 2006; Kim Martineau, “Thefts off the chart: pleading guilty, dealer admits to stealing 97 rare maps worth more than $3 million,” Hartford Courant, June 23, 2006; John Christoffersen, “Collector pleads guilty; admits stealing rare maps,” Associated Press, June 22, 2006; “Map dealer pleads guilty,” States News Service, June 22, 2006; Randy Boswell, “Earliest Canadian map thief’s passion: antiquarian admits swiping 97 rare maps from world’s libraries,” CanWest News Service, June 27, 2006; James Kinsella, “Chilmark resident admits map theft,” Vineyard Gazette, June 23, 2006.

  plead again in state court: Transcript, State of Connecticut v. Edward Forbes Smiley III, transcribed by Dawn M. DeRose, June 22, 2006.

  “We’re all a lot of mixed bags”: Martineau, “Thefts off the chart.”

  “tip of the iceberg”: Kim Martineau, “For map thief, a world of deceit: Forbes Smiley’s elite clientele are left feeling betrayed, humiliated; ‘I took it personally,’ says one,” Hartford Courant, June 25, 2006.

  amended that date to 2002: Defendant’s Memorandum in Aid of Sentencing (20), US v. Smiley, 28.

  CHAPTER 12

  owned by King George III: “George III Collection: The King’s Library,” British Library, http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/prbooks/georgeiiicoll/george3kingslibrary.html.

  first met Forbes Smiley . . . Apian map: Peter Barber, interview with the author; British Library, victim impact statement.

  “entertain serious doubts” . . . admit more thefts: Kim Martineau, “New allegations against map thief; the British Library says that E. Forbes Smiley III stole four maps, not just one,” Hartford Courant, June 30, 2006; “Libraries say more maps missing than those that were stolen,” Associated Press, July 30, 2006; Kim Martineau, “Libraries suspect more maps taken: Yale University and other prominent institutions fear federal authorities may not have been thorough enough in their investigation of map dealer E. Forbes Smiley III, right,” Hartford Courant, July 30, 2006.

  “minded to make common cause”: Peter Barber, e-mail to Ron Grim, et al., July 3, 2006.

  “cartographically semi-literate”: Tony Campbell, “Suggestions for Smiley’s judge(s),” MapHist Listserv, July 2, 2006.

  Bob Goldman thinks . . . “other maps might be”: Bob Goldman, interview with the author; Kim Martineau, “History’s policeman: with the fervor of a missionary, a former prosecutor helps track down those who would steal our heritage,” Hartford Courant, August 14, 2006; G. Patrick Pawling, “The bounty hunter: Robert Goldman has traveled he globe tracking down stolen art,” Super Lawyers, 2006; John Shiffman, “A TR ‘nut’ savors his big find: Theodore Roosevelt’s revolver caps a career investigating art crimes,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 16, 2006; Chris Mondics, “His career in art theft: lawyer Robert Goldman specializes in recovering stolen art, cultural treasures, historical pieces,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 15, 2007.

  Sterling Memorial Library went public: Kim Martineau, “Yale posts lists of missing maps; getting word out might thwart efforts to sell,” Hartford Courant, July 20, 2006.

  Ellicott map of DC: “Andrew Ellicott. Territory/of/Columbia,” E. Forbes Smiley III website, www.efsmaps.com (site discontinued; accessed through Internet Archive, www.archive.org).

  listed it on the cover . . . no longer had its copy: The Old Print Shop Portfolio 62, no. 1 (September 2002).

  missing maps in Arkway’s catalogs: Richard B. Arkway, Inc., catalogs 55, 58, and 62.

  “unfortunate that Yale has lost”: Martineau, “Yale posts lists of missing maps.”

  Harvard released its own list: “Missing map alert,” Harvard College Library, http://www.rbms.info/committees/security/theft_reports/harvard-maps-20060801.pdf; Janice O’Leary, “Stolen rare maps will find their way home,” The Boston Globe, July 23, 2006; Martineau, “Libraries suspect more maps taken.”

  “all of the affected institutions believe”: Jenna Russell, “BPL, Harvard renew map quest,” The Boston Globe, August 1, 2006.

  Grim had identified thirty-five maps . . . to Arkway: Ronald E. Grim, letter to Christopher Schmeisser, August 29, 2006, LMC archives.

  back to the right places: Nancy Cline and Alice Prochaska, e-mail exchange, July 1, 2006; Brittney L. Moraski, “New twist in Smiley case: libraries suspect that map dealer might have stolen more maps than admitted,” The Harvard Crimson, August 4, 2006.

  curators from all the affected libraries . . . evidence they’d brought: Goldman interview; Grim, Cobb, Hudson, Schroeder, and Kelleher interviews with the author; Brittney L. Moraski, “Status of stolen maps in limbo: libraries agree to keep ‘positive and productive’ meeting private,” August 11, 2006; “Confidential,” list of maps, undated, LMC archives.

  claim the map of Charleston . . . claim a map of New York: “Confidential,” list of maps, undated, with markings, LMC archives; Grim, letter to Schmeisser, August 29, 2006, LMC archives.

  working buffet lunch: “Agenda for map meeting,” August 9, 2006, LMC archives.

  urged them to go further . . . wouldn’t be participating: Goldman interview.

  rebuffed in his requests: Robert Goldman, letter to Christopher Schmeisser, August 10, 2006; Goldman and Kelleher interviews; Schmeisser interview.

  victims the right to argue separately: 18 US Code sec. 3771—“crime victims’ rights”; Paul G. Cassell and Steven Joffee, “The crime victim’s expanding role in a system of public prosecution: a response to the critics of the Crime Victims’ Rights Act,” Northwestern Law Review Colloquy (2011); Jefri Wood, “The Crime Victims’ Rights Act of 2004 and the federal courts,” Federal Judicial Center, June 2, 2008.

  British Library filed . . . “16th century”: B
ritish Library’s Sentencing Memorandum (19), US v. Smiley; Kim Martineau, “British want stern justice: legal brief asks U.S. judge to punish rare-map thief harshly,” Hartford Courant, September 14, 2006; Alison Leigh Cowen, “Map dealer deserves stiffer term, British say,” The New York Times, September 14, 2006; John Christoffersen, “British Library says map-stealing collector robbed future generations, deserves punishment,” Associated Press, September 14, 2006.

  Reeve, shot back . . . “next activity to try”: Defendant’s Sentencing Memorandum (20), US v. Smiley.

  government submitted its own memo: Sentencing Memorandum by USA (22), US v. Smiley.

  warranted a “downward departure”: Motion for Downward Departure by USA (21), US v. Smiley.

  Smiley arrived for sentencing . . . friends who had accompanied him: Transcript of Sentencing Hearing (24), US v. Smiley; Slater and Statt interviews; Kelleher, Schmeisser, and Hudson interviews; John Christoffersen, “Map thief sentenced to 3½ years in prison,” Associated Press, September 27, 2006; “Map thief sentenced to 42 months,” States News Service, September 27, 2006; Kim Martineau, “Thief’s next 3½ years mapped out: judge says prison term reflects dealer’s cooperation in recovery of treasures,” Hartford Courant, September 28, 2006; Randall Beach, “Map thief going to prison; Mass. man draws 3½-year sentence after helping with recovery of items,” New Haven Register, September 28, 2006; James Kinsella, “Chilmark man jailed for rare map theft,” Vineyard Gazette, September 29, 2006; Laura Beach, “Mapping a new future: Smiley is sentenced,” Antiques and the Arts Weekly, October 3, 2006.

  placed them in the backseat: Kelleher interview.

  CHAPTER 13

  “Obviously we are disappointed”: Laura Beach, “Mapping a new future: Smiley is sentenced,” Antiques and the Arts Weekly, October 3, 2006.

  “doesn’t send any message of deterrence”: Kim Martineau, “Thief’s next 3½ years mapped out: judge says prison term reflects dealer’s cooperation in recovery of treasures,” Hartford Courant, September 28, 2006.

  “judge forgive a car thief”: “Unjust break for map thief,” Hartford Courant, October 5, 2006.

  Smiley appeared . . . no additional jail time: Transcript by Sarah Burke, October 13, 2006, State of Connecticut v. Edward Smiley; “Map thief gets 5 years; Smiley’s state sentence is symbolic,” Hartford Courant, October 14, 2006; Randall Beach, “Map thief handed 5-year sentence in city,” New Haven Register, October 14, 2006.

  restitution order: Restitution Order (29), US v. Smiley.

  Cohen and Taliaferro never merged with Arkway: Cohen interview.

  forced to sell a valuable painting: Newman interview.

  “lucky to still be talking”: Cohen interview.

  sold his Sebec farmhouse and shops: Quitclaim Deed, August 25, 2005, Piscataquis County Registry of Deeds, Book 01681, Page 128; Warranty Deed, August 21, 2007, Piscataquis County Registry of Deeds, book 01868, page 281.

  forbidden from seizing a person’s home: William Francis Galvin, Questions and Answers: The Homestead Act, Massachusetts General Laws, Ch. 188, §1–10, Massachusetts Secretary of State, http://www.sec.state.ma.us/rod/rodhom/Homestead_q_and_a.pdf.

  “he gets to keep his house?”: Burden interview.

  NYPL finally released its list: “Missing antiquarian maps,” New York Public Library, http://www.nypl.org/locations/tid/36/node/49189; “Rare Book Division missing maps,” New York Public Library, http://www.nypl.org/locations/tid/36/node/29551.

  never be able to recover . . . “so uncooperative”: Hudson and Kelleher interviews.

  chart of Carolina: Grim interview; Ron Grim, e-mail to Schmeisser, November 6, 2006, LMC archives.

  Dudley map of the Chesapeake: Grim and Gordon interviews.

  both on the phone for a conference call: Ron Grim, summary of phone conversations with Kit Schmeisser and Steve Kelleher, November 22, 2006, LMC archives, Boston Public Library.

  Moll map of the colonies: Herman Moll, “New and Exact Map of the Dominions of the King of Great Britain on Ye Continent of North America,” in The World Described, 1708, Boston Public Library, G1015.M65 1709 (Atlas 10.4.1715).

  Seller chart of the West Indies: John Seller, “Chart of the West Indies from Cape Cod to the River Oronoque,” from Atlas Maritimus, 1672, Boston Public Library, G1059 .S45 1672 OR E672.SC4A.

  paid $12.87 for lunch: Ron Grim, expense report, December 11, 2006, LMC archives.

  confirmed Grim’s suspicions: Ron Grim notes, “Observations at Arkway,” undated, LMC archives.

  the John White map of Virginia: John White, “Nunc Virginia Dicta, Americae Pars,” in Theodor de Bry, Collections, Segunda Editio, vols. 6–7, 1591, Boston Public Library, G.281.51 vol. 6; Burden, Mapping of North America (76), 96–98; Ron Grim, letter to Jonathan Lupkin, January 16, 2007.

  agreed to return all three maps: Ruth Kowal, e-mail to Maribeth Cusick and Edward Maheigan, April 19, 2007, LMC archives; Jonathan Lupkin, e-mail to Ron Grim, December 14, 2006, annotated with handwritten notes by Ron Grim, LMC archives.

  Boisseau map of New France: Jean Boisseau, “Description de la Nouvelle France,” 1643, Yale University Library, 755.1643; Richard B. Arkway, Inc., Catalog 58: America and the World, Rare and Unusual Works 1522–1833 (14).

  Harry Newman closely examined . . . in Smiley’s defense: Newman interview; Kim Martineau, “Map with a legend; rare woodcut of Aztec city finds its way back to Yale,” Hartford Courant, January 27, 2007.

  Norman chart of Carolina: D.L. Dunbibin, “Chart of the coast of America from Cape Hatteras to Cape Roman,” from Andrew Allen, The American Pilot, 1816, Boston Public Library, G1106.P5 A4 1816x.

  agreed it was Boston’s map: Ron Grim and Kit Schmeisser, e-mail exchange, May 4, 2007; Ron Grim and Jim Curtis, e-mail exchange, May 7, 2007; Ron Grim, handwritten notes regarding Jim Curtis, undated, LMC archives.

  new order for restitution: United States’ Unopposed Motion for an Amended Restitution Order (31) US v. Smiley. Amended Restitution Order (32), US v. Smiley (31–2), Amended Restitution Order.

  January 4, 2007 . . . 15867-014: “Public information inmate data, Smiley, Edward Forbes III,” US Bureau of Prisons, January 15, 2010; Randall Beach, “Map thief begins serving 3½-year sentence,” New Haven Register, January 5, 2007.

  locked in a cell for twenty-three hours . . . “when I saw return addresses”: Smiley interview, corroborated by contemporaneous letters written by Scott Slater.

  gathered for their annual weekend: “Boys’ Weekend,” Santa Cruz, California, October 5, 2007, order of ceremonies.

  “stripped of all the furnishings”: Scott Slater, “A Lament for Sebec.”

  “I hear the boys a drinkin’”: Forbes Smiley, “Devens Prison Blues.”

  work-release program: Smiley interview; Scott Slater interview.

  furlough on December 23, 2009: Ibid.

  officially earned parole: “Public Information Inmate Data, Smiley, Edward Forbes III,” US Bureau of Prisons, January 15, 2010.

  “five percent have been returned”: Arader interview.

  “cause of the loss was incorrect”: Ben Sanderson, e-mail to the author, November 29, 2013.

  “he turned in the dealers”: Arader interview.

  “no better protector of items than themselves”: Goldman interview.

  “have stolen maps in your collection?”: Cobb interview.

  Sotheby’s announced it was auctioning . . . record $250,000: Randy Boswell, “Rare map of Canada under scrutiny after Harvard thefts,” Canwest News Service, October 12, 2008; Randy Boswell, “Champlain map cleared for auction,” Canwest News Service, October 14, 2008.

  master list of all the missing maps: John Woram, “Missing Maps,” New York Map Society, http://www.newyorkmapsociety.org/MISSING/WORAM.HTM.

  “you have to put a photo out”: Woram interview.

  “not the m
ap librarians who are the problem”: Campbell interview.

  James Brubaker: Steve Twomey, “To catch a thief,” and “Pay dirt in Montana,” Smithsonian, April 2008; “Great Falls man pleads guilty to stealing rare library books,” Great Falls Tribune, June 24, 2008.

  César Gómez Rivero: Federal Bureau of Investigation, “Tesoros Nacionales: FBI returns stolen maps to Spain,” press release, November 8, 2007, http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2007/november/stolenmaps_110807; Thomas Catan, “Library map thief gives himself up,” The Times (London), October 22, 2007.

  Richard Delaney: Ross McCarthy, “Worker stole historic maps; court: items worth pounds 89,000 taken from university,” Birmingham Evening Mail, August 5, 2008.

  Farhad Hakimzadeh: Sandra Laville, “History’s missing pages: Iranian academic sliced out sections of priceless collection, The Guardian, November 20, 1998.

  Hungarian thief: “Multiple map thief behind bars,” thinkSpain, August 12, 2009.

  Czech Republic, a thief stole two maps: “Czech court imposes five years on Pole for theft of rare maps,” Ceske Noviny, August 19, 2009, cited by Tony Campbell, “News about map thefts,” http://www.maphistory.info/theftnews.html.

  British library . . . as a fingerprint: Barber and Sanderson interviews.

  ambitious digitization project . . . install cameras: Grim and Janet Spitz, interviews with the author; Jenna Russell, “Stolen rare maps find their way back to library’s collection,” The Boston Globe, January 2, 2008.

  installed a new camera . . . after each use: Parrish interview.

  numerous bags and coats: Author visits to NYPL map room, 2012–2013; The New York Public Library did not respond to repeated requests for an interview.

  still get checks: Newman interview.

  Smiley’s mother passed away: Parties’ Joint Motion for Distribution of Estate Proceeds and for Clarification of the Amended Restitution Order (33), US v. Smiley.