Edward Forbes Smiley III
Encyclopedia
Edward Forbes Smiley III (born April 13, 1956, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts) is an art thief
. Formerly a collector of early and rare map
s of the world and North America, Smiley was instrumental in building up two major collections that were subsequently donated to research libraries: the Lawrence H. Slaughter collection now in the New York Public Library
and the Norman B. Leventhal Collection at the Boston Public Library
. His knowledge, charm and charitable activities gained him the trust of several librarians and, in some cases, unsupervised access to their collections. He was found guilty in 2006 of stealing
97 rare maps originally valued at more than US$
3 million.
on the floor of the reading room in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
at Yale University
led to his arrest. Although three maps on his person matched those missing from books he had just examined in the Beinecke
, he protested his innocence. It was not until his court appearance a year later (22 June 2006) that he confessed to having stolen a total of 97 maps from six institutions — Boston Public Library, Harvard University (Houghton Library)
, Newberry Library
(in Chicago), New York Public Library (the Rare Book and Map Divisions) and Yale University (Beinecke Library
and Sterling Memorial Library
) in the United States, as well as the British Library
in London. At the time of his arrest the British Library had already identified him as a suspect and was about to call in the police. Smiley originally said he had been stealing maps for approximately seven years but later reduced that figure to four years.
: "If you steal human treasures, then you will go to prison, but if you help recover them, this will be taken into account and weighed in the balance". Since all but ten of the 97 maps Smiley admitted stealing had been recovered, he was sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment. Later, in May 2007, he was ordered to pay US$2.3 million in restitution. (The original valuation on the stolen maps had been over US$3 million.) Reported losses by a handful of leading dealers who had unwittingly sold stolen maps acquired from Smiley ran to more than US$400,000 each in three cases; no details have been given about any reimbursement. A second sentencing before a state judge, Richard Damiani, on 13 October 2006, confirmed the earlier sentence, though the judge was critical of the trust placed in Smiley's statements by his federal counterpart.
an example of the map of the Aztec
capital Tenochtitlan, illustrating a letter from Hernán Cortés
(1524), but a prior photograph of the example missing from Yale's Beinecke Library
proved instead that it was theirs.
Several questions remain unanswered, in particular about the origin and purpose of high quality facsimiles of early maps, some found on Smiley's person when he was arrested, others in books he examined.
Smiley was not the first major map thief. Miles Harvey
's book The Island of Lost Maps — notionally about Gilbert Bland — describes a number of earlier thieves, and two European thieves were active in or before 2001. However, Smiley was almost certainly responsible for more financial and cultural loss than any of his predecessors.
Smiley was released from prison on January 15, 2010.
Art theft
Art theft is usually for the purpose of resale or for ransom . Stolen art is sometimes used by criminals to secure loans.. One must realize that only a small percentage of stolen art is recovered. Estimates range from 5 to 10%. This means that little is known about the scope and characteristics of...
. Formerly a collector of early and rare map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
s of the world and North America, Smiley was instrumental in building up two major collections that were subsequently donated to research libraries: the Lawrence H. Slaughter collection now in the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
and the Norman B. Leventhal Collection at the Boston Public Library
Boston Public Library
The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was the first publicly supported municipal library in the United States, the first large library open to the public in the United States, and the first public library to allow people to...
. His knowledge, charm and charitable activities gained him the trust of several librarians and, in some cases, unsupervised access to their collections. He was found guilty in 2006 of stealing
Document theft
Document theft is the crime of stealing documents of historical, literary, or cultural interest from public or private archives, often for the purpose of sale to private collectors....
97 rare maps originally valued at more than US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
3 million.
Thefts and arrest
On 8 June 2005, the discovery of an X-Acto knifeX-acto
X-Acto is a brand name for a variety of cutting tools and office products owned by Elmer's Products, Inc. Cutting tools include hobby and utility knives, saws, carving tools and many small-scale precision knives used for crafts and other applications....
on the floor of the reading room in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library was a 1963 gift of the Beinecke family. The building was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft of the firm of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, and is the largest building in the world reserved exclusively for the preservation of rare books...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
led to his arrest. Although three maps on his person matched those missing from books he had just examined in the Beinecke
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library was a 1963 gift of the Beinecke family. The building was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft of the firm of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, and is the largest building in the world reserved exclusively for the preservation of rare books...
, he protested his innocence. It was not until his court appearance a year later (22 June 2006) that he confessed to having stolen a total of 97 maps from six institutions — Boston Public Library, Harvard University (Houghton Library)
Houghton Library
Houghton Library is the primary repository for rare books and manuscripts at Harvard University. It is part of the Harvard College Library within the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Houghton is located on the south side of Harvard Yard, next to Widener Library.- History :Harvard's first...
, Newberry Library
Newberry Library
The Newberry Library is a privately endowed, independent research library for the humanities and social sciences in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public...
(in Chicago), New York Public Library (the Rare Book and Map Divisions) and Yale University (Beinecke Library
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library was a 1963 gift of the Beinecke family. The building was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft of the firm of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, and is the largest building in the world reserved exclusively for the preservation of rare books...
and Sterling Memorial Library
Sterling Memorial Library
Sterling Memorial Library is the largest library at Yale University, containing over 4 million volumes. It is an example of Gothic revival architecture, designed by James Gamble Rogers, adorned with thousands of panes of stained glass created by G. Owen Bonawit.The Library has 15 levels, each with...
) in the United States, as well as the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
in London. At the time of his arrest the British Library had already identified him as a suspect and was about to call in the police. Smiley originally said he had been stealing maps for approximately seven years but later reduced that figure to four years.
Sentencing
At his federal sentencing on 27 September 2006, Judge Janet Bond Arterton took note of his cooperation with the Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
: "If you steal human treasures, then you will go to prison, but if you help recover them, this will be taken into account and weighed in the balance". Since all but ten of the 97 maps Smiley admitted stealing had been recovered, he was sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment. Later, in May 2007, he was ordered to pay US$2.3 million in restitution. (The original valuation on the stolen maps had been over US$3 million.) Reported losses by a handful of leading dealers who had unwittingly sold stolen maps acquired from Smiley ran to more than US$400,000 each in three cases; no details have been given about any reimbursement. A second sentencing before a state judge, Richard Damiani, on 13 October 2006, confirmed the earlier sentence, though the judge was critical of the trust placed in Smiley's statements by his federal counterpart.
Coverage
The case was widely covered across the United States and elsewhere. Because Smiley pled guilty, he was never cross-examined. Apart from the details he supplied himself, much of the available information came via journalists. Some suspected that Smiley had taken more maps than he admitted. Each of the affected libraries issued lists of missing maps. Several of the entries matched copies of books, now without their maps, which Smiley had examined. For example, Smiley had admitted stealing from Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
an example of the map of the Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
capital Tenochtitlan, illustrating a letter from Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
(1524), but a prior photograph of the example missing from Yale's Beinecke Library
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library was a 1963 gift of the Beinecke family. The building was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft of the firm of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, and is the largest building in the world reserved exclusively for the preservation of rare books...
proved instead that it was theirs.
Several questions remain unanswered, in particular about the origin and purpose of high quality facsimiles of early maps, some found on Smiley's person when he was arrested, others in books he examined.
Legacy
As a result of Smiley's thefts, research libraries are now more aware of the vulnerability of maps illustrating volumes in their rare book collections and are tightening up their documentation and security procedures. At the same time they appreciate the importance to scholars of continued access to such works. The changes are most noticeable at Yale's Sterling Memorial Library, where a comprehensive program of cataloging and digitizing the early map collection is under way, funded largely by a donation of US$100,000 from William Reese, who had acted as Yale's advisor throughout the Smiley affair.Smiley was not the first major map thief. Miles Harvey
Miles Harvey
Miles Harvey is an American journalist and author. He is best known for his 2000 book, The Island of Lost Maps, which recounted the strange story of a Floridian named Gilbert Bland, who stole many old and precious maps from various libraries across America.Harvey graduated from the University of...
's book The Island of Lost Maps — notionally about Gilbert Bland — describes a number of earlier thieves, and two European thieves were active in or before 2001. However, Smiley was almost certainly responsible for more financial and cultural loss than any of his predecessors.
Smiley was released from prison on January 15, 2010.