V&A thefts: it's nothing new

As shocking as the recent thefts have been, do-it-yourself deaccessioning has a long history at the Victoria and Albert:

A series of thefts by an attendant at the Victoria and Albert museum went unnoticed for around two decades, according to National Archive records.

The thief, a man called Nevin, stole 2,544 items from the museum, prompting a security report in 1954.

A subsequent stock-take revealed about 5,000 objects were missing, although not all were attributable to Nevin. No stock-taking had taken place for 16 years - not since 1937 - prior to the discovery of the thefts.

Details of the thefts came to light in files now released by the National Archives at Kew, in London.

Objects taken included musical instruments, ceramics, prints, oil paintings, lacquer boxes and 98 Japanese swords. Nevin also managed to take two imitation 18th century French tables.

Read more here. Some hundred items were so badly damaged as to be beyond repair; Nevin was ultimately sentenced to all of three years in prison.

Posted by David on January 2, 2005 5:32 PM