Internet Foils Old Map Thieves

On the night of 16-17 October, 2002, burglars broke in the back door of Kaabers Antikvariat, a rare book and map shop in Copenhagen, Denmark, and departed with 102 old and rare maps and books valued at DKK 850,000 (approx. $US 114,000). Among the treasures stolen was a ca. 1573 Abraham Ortelius map of Russia based on the work of Anthony Jenkinson, the first foreigner to traverse Russia from north to south, priced at DKK 28,000 (approx. $US 3,750). After promptly reporting to the police, Mr. Kaaber prepared a list of missing items which was forwarded to the Danish Antiquarian Booksellers Association as well as to the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), and the list was posted on the websites of those organizations. On 7 November, Mr. Kaaber received a telephone call from a London rare book and map dealer who had been offered, by e-mail from Denmark, four of the stolen maps.Thanks to the fast work of the Danish booksellers and the ILAB, the London dealer had already recognized that the old maps were stolen property. Asking the seller to send him the maps on approval for his assessment, he was able to confirm that they were indeed the stolen goods and turn them over to Scotland Yard, who then located the seller through the e-mail address. Danish police subsequently arrested two persons, recovering more stolen material as well as learning that other old maps had been offered to a US dealer who had innocently asked that they be sent for inspection. Through the good work of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA), the US dealer was alerted and readily agreed to cooperate and return the maps to the authorities in Denmark. As of 28 November, DKK 196,000 (approx. $US 26,000) worth of the stolen maps and books have been recovered. Police believe the two accused to be part of a larger ring.

Because old maps and books usually have unique identifying features such as former owners' marks, small tears and soil spots, and similar defects, they can be easily compared with detailed descriptions found in the computer data bases of their owners. Now that the internet makes it possible for reports of stolen books and maps to be rapidly circulated to most leading dealers in this material, it becomes very much harder than ever before for thieves to successfully sell their ill-gotten wares.

The ILAB, along with its affiliate members in 20 nations, is currently notifying its members of stolen material as it is reported and will soon be operating a computer data base of stolen books, maps, and related materials. As well as items stolen from its affilitated members, the ILAB hopes that it will become among the first places that libraries, institutions, and private collectors report significant stolen property, and it hopes to always be instrumental in recovering such property for its owners. Their internet address is www.ilab-lila.com.