Antique Maps Thief Pleads Guilty

In what has probably become the most celebrated case of the theft of antique maps in recent years, antique maps dealer E. Forbes Smiley III pleaded guilty last week in federal court in New Haven to charges of theft of major artwork. He later entered a similar plea in state court. The total value of maps stolen by Smiley has been estimated at more than $3 million.

Smiley was arrested last year as he left Yale's Beinecke Library, and was found to have rare maps in his possession, which were later proven to have been stolen from the library.

Sentencing in the federal case has been set for September 21. Smiley faces up to ten years in prison on the federal charges, in addition to substantial fines.



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E. Forbes Smiley, III, antique maps, map theft, Yale Beinecke Library

Antique Maps & Antique Prints News

Antique Maps & Antique Prints Upcoming Events
No major events or meetings scheduled for the upcoming week.


Antique Maps & Antique Prints Ongoing Exhibitions
For information on a wide range of current exhibitions, please visit the Exhibitions Page at Vintage World Antique Maps & Prints.


Antiquarian Book & Map Fairs
No major fairs scheduled for the upcoming week.


Upcoming Auctions, July 2-8.
July 3. Bath, England. Bonhams. Printed Books & Maps.

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E. Forbes Smiley, III Due In Court This Month

Accused Antique Maps Thief Tipped To Plead Guilty

E. Forbes Smiley, III, the antique maps dealer accused last year by state and federal authorities of stealing extremely valuable maps from Yale University's Beineke Library, is due to appear in court on June 22, and is expected to plead guilty, according to an article in the Hartford Courant.

According to the article, sources close to the case indicate that Smiley may plead guilty to several more thefts, in addition to the spectacular heist from the Beinecke. Other institutions that have confirmed antique map losses following visits by Smiley include the British Library, Chicago's Newberry Library, and the Boston Public Library.

It is just about one year since Smiley was arrested in New Haven, following an alert by Beinecke librarians that Smiley appeared to have been leafing through valuable rare books and atlases while in possession of a razor blade, used to cut maps from the books. Maps were later discovered in Smiley's coat pockets and briefcase. The theft set off a furor in the antique maps world, as institutions admitted that such thefts were not uncommon in their holdings.



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E. Forbes Smiley, III, antique maps, map theft, Yale Beinecke Library

Antique Maps & Antique Prints News

Antique Maps & Antique Prints Upcoming Events


June 11, Denver. Informal home presentation featuring two collections for the Rocky Mountain Map Society. 7:00 PM. Contact Lorraine Sherry at (303) 465-4361 for further information. Or email JHensinger@comcast.net

June 14, London. Surekha Davies will present Trade, Empire and Exploration: the Mapmakers of Dieppe and Representations of the New World in the Sixteenth Century. 2:15 PM. Warburg Institute, University of London, Woburn Square.

June 15, Toronto. A Brief History of Miniature Maps. Meeting of the Upper Canada Map Society. 6:00 PM. University of Toronto, Robarts Library.

Antique Maps & Antique Prints Ongoing Exhibitions

For information on a wide range of current exhibitions, please visit the Exhibitions Page at Vintage World Antique Maps & Prints.

Antiquarian Book & Map Fairs

June 18, Portland, Maine. The Portland Book, Print & Paper Show. Portland Exposition Building, 239 Park Avenue, Portland, Maine. Sponsored by the Maine Antquarian Booksellers Association, and the Maine Historical Society.

Upcoming Auctions, June 11-17.

June 15, New York City. Swann Galleries. Maps & Atlases, Natural History, Historical Prints & Ephemera.

Through June 21. Old World Auctions. Antique maps, atlases, and decorative graphics. Online auction.

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Online Gallery Of Antique North Carolina Maps

I came across a posting yesterday by Jay Lester, of the William P. Cumming Map Society, that points to a wonderful resource he has discovered about antique maps of North Carolina. It is an online gallery of antique maps - some scanned from originals, some from reproductions - but containing a wealth of resources documenting the mapping of North Carolina from the mid-17th to the early 20th centuries. The website is the work of the North Carolina State Archives, and is well worth a visit.

Technorati Tags: antiques, North Carolina antique maps, vintage maps, antique maps, antique prints

Antique Maps & Antique Prints News

Antique Maps & Antique Prints Upcoming Events

June 6, Beaumont, Texas. The History of Mapping in Texas. Presented by Darrell Shine, land surveyor. Sponsored by The Golden Triangle Group of Sierra Club. For additional information, contact 722-8974, 883-6126 or 722-5718.

June 9, London. The International Map Collectors' Society will visit the Royal Geographic Society in the afternoon, to be followed by the IMCOS annual meeting, and dinner at the East Indian Club. Sounds like a splendid day!

Antique Maps & Antique Prints Ongoing Exhibitions

For information on a wide range of current exhibitions, please visit the Exhibitions Page at Vintage World Antique Maps & Prints.

Antiquarian Book & Map Fairs

June 4. Concord, New Hampshire. New England Book and Ephemera Fair. Everett Arena, Concord, NH For more information: (772) 778-8032.

June 9-10, London. London Map Fair. Featuring more than 40 international exhibitors. Olympia 2, Olympia Exhibition Centre, Hammersmith Road, London. Free admission, ticket also valid for the ABA Antiquarian Book Fair and the Fine Art & Antiques Fair at Olympia.

Upcoming Auctions, June 4-10.

June 6, Oxford. Photography, Printed Books and Maps. Bonhams.

June 7, London. Natural History, Plate Books, and Cartography. Christies.

June 8, San Francisco. Fine & Rare Books & Manuscripts. PBA Galleries.

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auctions, antique maps, antique prints, antiquarian book fairs