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Fogg Art Museum Scrapbook, May 1973-March 1978

ARCH.2003.39, Rendition: 806528

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The image shows a newspaper clipping from the Boston Globe dated December 3, 1973. The headline reads: "Greek, Roman coins worth millions taken in holdup at Fogg Art Museum." The clipping details a robbery that occurred at the Fogg Art Museum, where a group of counterfeiters stole valuable Greek and Roman coins. The story provides details about the robbery, including the time, the method of the robbery, and the estimated value of the stolen coins. The article also mentions that the museum had suffered a previous coin robbery in April 1973. The clipping is mounted on a piece of brown paper.

Qwen, Qwen/Qwen2.5-VL-72B-Instruct

This image is a photograph of a newspaper clipping from the Boston Globe, dated December 3, 1973. The headline reads, "Greek, Roman coins worth millions taken in holdup at Fogg Art Museum." The article details a robbery that occurred at the Fogg Art Museum, where a significant collection of ancient coins was stolen. The text describes the events of the robbery, including the method used by the robbers, the response of the watchman, and the subsequent investigation by the FBI and local police. The article also mentions the value of the coins and the potential consequences for the museum and the field of numismatics. The clipping is mounted on a brown paper background with two holes punched on the right side, suggesting it was part of a binder or folder.

Qwen, qwen.qwen3-vl-235b-a22b

This image displays a newspaper clipping mounted on a piece of aged, tan-colored cardboard or file folder, which has two visible punch holes along its right edge. The clipping is from the Boston Globe, dated December 3, 1973, as handwritten in red ink at the top of the article.

Headline:

Greek, Roman coins worth millions taken in holdup at Fogg Art Museum

Main Content:

The article reports on a major robbery at Harvard University’s Fogg Art Museum, where thieves stole an estimated $2 million worth of ancient Greek and Roman coins.

Key details from the article:

  • The Robbery: It occurred on Saturday afternoon, December 1, 1973. A man identifying himself as “Mr. Ryan” gained entry to the museum by pretending to pick up a package. He was followed by four other men who allegedly forced open the coin room and loaded the coins into boxes.
  • Victim & Witness: Watchman Charles Pearson reported the robbery. The robbers had been watching the museum, as indicated by activity the previous afternoon.
  • Police Investigation: Twelve FBI agents and local police were investigating. They identified the suspects as arriving in two cars—a 1964 Buick and a dark Thunderbird—parked near a side entrance. A suspect named “Mr. Ryan” was central to the investigation.
  • Museum Official Response: Susannah Doeringer (assistant director) and George Hartmann (curator) confirmed that over 5,000 coins were stolen. Many were “irreplaceable,” acquired through long-term loans and vital for study and research. The loss was described as a “tragic loss for scholarship.”
  • Value & Disposal: The coins ranged from 700 BC to 400 AD and were extremely valuable to collectors. Experts said they could be melted down for bullion, sold in foreign countries, or kept by private collectors. Police warned that selling the coins would likely result in arrest.
  • Historical Context: This was the second major coin robbery at the Fogg Museum in two years; a 1972 robbery had involved Russian and U.S. coins, with some recovered.

Additional Notation:

At the bottom of the article, a note indicates: “Jeremiah Murphy’s column appears today — P._ 90”, suggesting this was page 90 of the newspaper’s arts or culture section.

Physical Appearance:

The clipping is slightly yellowed, consistent with its age. It is affixed to a larger piece of tan cardstock, which appears to be part of a file or scrapbook. The handwritten date in red ink (“BOSTON GLOBE 12/3/73”) adds a personal archival touch.

Summary:

This is a historical clipping documenting a high-profile art heist at a prestigious American university museum, highlighting not just the monetary value of the stolen artifacts, but their irreplaceable cultural and scholarly significance. The tone reflects the urgency and gravity of the crime as perceived by authorities and museum officials at the time.

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The image shows a newspaper clipping from the Boston Globe dated 1973. The headline reads "Greek, Roman coins worth millions taken in holdup at Fogg Art Museum." The article reports a theft of valuable Greek and Roman coins from the Fogg Art Museum. The robbers, described as "Mr. Ryan" and an accomplice, stole the coins by tricking the watchman into opening the safe. The stolen coins ranged from 700 BC to 400 AD and were worth millions. The article includes details of the robbery, the investigation, and the potential impact on the museum's collection. The clipping is attached to a larger piece of paper, possibly for archival purposes.

Amazon, amazon.nova-lite-v1:0

The image shows a clipping from the Boston Globe, dated July 13, 1973, featuring a headline about a theft at the Fogg Art Museum. The article discusses the theft of Greek and Roman coins worth millions, which were taken during a holdup at the museum. The museum's curator, Susan Doerflinger, and George Mann, curator of the coin collection, are mentioned as having been taken hostage during the robbery. The coins, which range from 700 to 400 AD, are described as irreplaceable for scholarly research and teaching. The article also mentions that the coins could be melted down for sale in small lots, sold to foreign collectors, or kept in private collections. The FBI is investigating the incident, and the coins are considered a significant loss for the museum.

Amazon, us.amazon.nova-2-lite-v1:0

The image is a scanned newspaper clipping from the Boston Globe dated December 12, 1973. The headline reads: "Greek, Roman coins worth millions taken in holdup at Fogg Art Museum." The article details a significant robbery at the Fogg Art Museum, where a large collection of ancient Greek and Roman coins, valued in the millions, was stolen.

Key Details from the Article:

  1. The Robbery:

    • Two men entered the Fogg Art Museum on Saturday afternoon and stole coins from display cases.
    • The suspects were described as one man in a dark-colored coat and another in a light-colored coat.
    • The robbery occurred around 12:45 PM, and the suspects fled in two cars, a 1985 gold Buick and a dark-colored circular driveway off Broadway Street.
  2. The Stolen Coins:

    • The stolen coins included duplicates of many coins from around the world, but some were originals brought together for study purposes.
    • The coins ranged in value from $700 to $400,000, with some being part of the teaching collection of the Fogg Art Museum.
    • The coins were described as having "great amount of money" and could bring "a great amount of money" if sold separately.
  3. Investigation:

    • The FBI, Cambridge police, and Harvard University police were investigating the robbery.
    • The suspects were identified as Charles Pearson and another man, who was later identified as "Ryan."
    • Ryan was described as having a small caliber chrome-plated 9mm pistol, which he used to threaten museum staff.
  4. Museum Response:

    • The museum's assistant director, George Hanf, stated that the stolen coins were part of the museum's teaching collection and had minimal monetary value to the institution.
    • The museum curator, Susan Doeringer, confirmed that the stolen coins were part of the museum's collection.
  5. Security Measures:

    • The museum had security cameras, but they were not sufficient to capture the robbery.
    • The museum had a watchman on duty, but he was not present during the robbery.
  6. Impact:

    • The loss of the coins was considered a tragic loss for scholarship and research, as they were valuable for academic study and teaching.
    • The coins were described as being in high demand among collectors, with some being sold for millions.
  7. Additional Context:

    • The article mentions that the robbery was the second major theft at the Fogg Art Museum in recent years, referencing a previous robbery in April.
    • The suspects were later arrested and charged with the theft.

The article provides a detailed account of the robbery, the investigation, and the impact on the museum and the academic community. It also highlights the value and significance of the stolen coins in the world of art and numismatics.

OpenAI, gpt-4

The image shows a newspaper clipping mounted on an orange-brownish paper with two black circular markings, possibly for archival purposes. The newspaper is identified at the top as the "Boston Globe" and dated "12/13/72." The headline states "Greek, Roman coins worth millions taken in holdup at Fogg Art Museum," indicating that the article is about a significant theft.

The article continues from page 1 and details the events surrounding the theft of valuable Greek and Roman coins from the Fogg Art Museum. Specific details about the theft, the investigation, and statements from involved parties, such as law enforcement and museum staff, are included throughout the column.

The newspaper clipping also mentions a feature by Jeremiah Murphy's column, which appears on "Page 29 today," suggesting additional content of interest on another page.

Without the full context of the article, it's unclear exactly what information is provided, but the format suggests typical newspaper reporting of the time, including columns of text in a standard font and style consistent with newspaper print of the early 1970s.

OpenAI, gpt-4.1-mini-2025-04-14

This image shows a newspaper clipping mounted on a brown paper sheet. The clipping is an article titled "Greek, Roman coins worth millions taken in holdup at Fogg Art Museum." The article details a theft at the Fogg Art Museum involving the taking of valuable coins. It includes information about the suspects, the investigation, the value of the stolen coins, and comments from authorities and museum officials. Handwritten at the top in red ink is "BOSTON GLOBE 12/3/73." There is also a small note at the bottom of the clipping mentioning "Jeremiah Murphy's column appears today." The edges of the newspaper clipping show some wear, and the brown mounting paper has a hole punched on the right side.

OpenAI, gpt-4o-2024-11-20

The image shows a newspaper clipping titled "Greek, Roman coins worth millions taken in holdup at Fogg Art Museum," dated from the Boston Globe on 12/3/1973. It details an incident involving the theft of valuable coins from the museum, describing the events leading to the robbery, the investigation, and the significance of the stolen items. The article provides quotes from key individuals and mentions measures taken in response to the theft. The clipping is mounted on a piece of cardstock with a hole punch in the upper right corner.

OpenAI, gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07

A small archival newspaper clipping mounted on a tan backing. The clipping is from the Boston Globe, dated 1/3/73 (handwritten in red at the top). The bold headline reads: “Greek, Roman coins worth millions taken in holdup at Fogg Art Museum.” The article is laid out in multiple narrow columns and includes standard newspaper text. The clipping shows signs of age (yellowing) and is attached to the backing with two binder holes punched along the right edge; the top-left corner of the backing is slightly torn. Overall, it looks like a documented historical article about a museum theft.