#map thief

[conservethis]

To Catch a Thief: How a UVA detective brought a man accused of stealing maps across the country to justice

In the 1990s, Gilbert Bland Jr. stole rare maps from libraries across the country. This is the story of how a UVA investigator brought him to justice.

I’d like to think there is a special hell reserved for people who knowingly mutilate rare books for profit. 

[usnatarchives]

The Map Thief

Maps have long fascinated viewers—both as beautiful works of art and as practical tools to navigate the world. But for collectors, the map trade can be a cutthroat business. In his book The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps, author Michael Blanding describes the life of E. Forbes Smiley, a respectable antiquarian map dealer who spent years doubling as a map thief—until he was finally arrested for slipping maps out of books in the Yale University library. A book signing follows the program.

Thursday, October 23, at noon in the William G. McGowan Theater. 

Watch live on YouTube.