Exciting NEWS - The WYTFLIET Atlas stolen by the Manuscripts Libraian of the National Library of Sweden is on its way back to the National Library of Sweden AND The National Librarian of Sweden makes some clarifications and my reponse.

Exciting NEWS - The WYTFLIET Atlas stolen by the Manuscripts Libraian of the National Library of Sweden is on its way back to the National Library of Sweden AND The National Librarian of Sweden makes some clarifications and my reponse. 

EVEN MORE EXCITING NEWS - SOTHEBYS LEADS THE WAY AND ACTS  WITH INTEGRITY ON THIS MATTER.  THE NATIONAL LIBRARIAN OF SWEDEN AGREES AND MY COMMENTS BACK TO HIM:

Thank you for your e mail Gunner.

YES, it is wonderful that Sothebys is involved.  I spoke to the distinguished head of the whole department yesterday - David Redden.   He said that Cathy Slowther, head of the map department at Sothebys London is now handling this matter.

He also made the POSSIBLE suggestion that it would be nice to have you come to London to possibly collect this book when all the administrative work has been done.  Sothebys will be losing 48,000 pounds on this and I will be losing the profit that I would have made - somewhere in the range of $100,000.   Sothebys is the ONLY auction house in the world that has these incredibly high standards and it is my feeling that this is a strong point for everyone to know.  THERE REALLY IS A DIFFERENCE and Sothebys actions should be praised.

We both have considerable interest in hearing what you are ACTIVELY doing to SHAME the auction house Ketterer Kunst into cooperating with you to find out the people who have been involved with the sale of the Wytfliet Atlas and any other books that may have been given to them by the manuscript librarian of Sweden eight years ago.

It is clear to me that the actions of Sothebys and myself demonstrate the correct way to act when a book is discovered to have been stolen and that Ketterer Kunst CLEARLY is using silly legal rubbish to avoid helping you so that they will not have to take a loss.  Sothebys did not hesitate for one minute while Ketterer Kunst has stalled you for eight years!

It is my hope that you will do whatever you can to retrieve ALL of your stolen books.

PLEASE BE VERY CERTAIN THAT IT WILL BE MY LIFE'S GOAL TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY BOOK STOLEN FROM THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SWEDEN IS RETURNED TO YOU.

It is also my hope that you will make a much stronger effort to use all means possible to achieve the same goal.   It is my opinion that much, much more needs to be done by you.  Please do what you can to make me proud to be associated with you.   So far you have disappointed me by taking eight years to let anyone know about this serious loss.

Please excuse my strong words but the monsters that have been stealing books, maps and atlases from the great libraries of the world have mostly been able to get away with it.  They have ripped from my arms the wonderful but entitled clients that I could have had by offering them books for low prices that I have never been able to match.  My lust for vengeance consumes me.   I am obsessed and will not rest until every stolen book, map and atlas has been returned and the thieves and people who have worked with them have been punished.

I AM NOT GOING AWAY.

Firmly,

Graham

On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 1:46 AM, Gunnar Sahlin <Gunnar.Sahlin@kb.se> wrote:

Der Graham

Its positive that our matter with the atlas is running so well. It has been some articles in swedish newspaper about this "affair". It have been interviews with you and me, and the articles have been informative. In the beginng of August we are going on with other activities with the atlas and also with the whole list.

As you wrote in you mail its good news that Sothebys now are engaged in this matter. We are going to contanct them as soon as possible.

We keep in contact, and I send you information about what happens from our side.

Best regards

Gunnar

EXCITING NEWS

The Wytfliet Altas is now being delivered back to the distinguished rare book department of Sothebys.  They are going to give me a credit for my cost on this book of 48,000 pounds and will start the process of returning it to the National Library of Sweden.  Since I paid 48,000 pounds for this book over 10 years ago, I am losing the use of this money over that period of time but that is a risk that ALL people that CALL themselves rare book dealers MUST be willing to take and cheerfully accept.   


As always the scholarly, professional staff at Sothebys has promptly done the right thing.  What a pleasure it is do have my relationship with this outstanding company.   They are a treasure for all the people of the world who care about our cultural heritage.  


Below is the letter written to me by the National Librarian of Sweden:


- Dear Mr Graham Arader

I have some further comments about our common matter.

1. The person in the National Library who stole the books died shortly after the police toke him into custody. Therefore we are not shore about all details in the list.

2. Some of the books in the list the police found in an apartment, and they are back in our collection.

3. We are now in discussions about the situation with the ministry and other organizations involved in this matter. But just now in July its holidays in Sweden, and we have to wait until beginning of August before we can decide how to continue the process from our side.

We keep int contact, and I want to repeat how thankful we are of your collaboration and engament in this difficult matter.
Best regards
Gunnar Sahlin

Here is my response:

Dear Gunnar

Thank you for understanding how hard it has been for me to compete FOR FORTY YEARS with dealers who get their inventory by stealing from the libraries of the world.  There is no way that it is possible to beat their prices because their cost is ZERO.

Then these rich collectors break my heart and end their relationship with me because they can get better prices from thieves.   The pain of this happening for 40 years is great.

My heart goes out to you for the pain of this loss and there is no question that you will get your book back.   It is also good news for you that Sothebys, the world's greatest auction house, is involved with this matter.  For forty years they have always done the honorable, correct thing.  You can be very certain that you will get this atlas back.  But my hope is that you will fight to get all your other stolen books back.

Thank you,

Graham

---

Från: Gunnar Sahlin
Skickat: sö 2011-07-17 11:52
Till: grahamarader@gmail.com
Ämne: List concerning stolen books

Dear Graham,

Thank you for your mail.

We have not been able to get the name of the buyer who bought the atlas from Ketterer Kunst 2002. Ketterer Kunst have been very helpful in providing us with photographs of the atlas, but has informed us that for legal reasons, they are not allowed to disclose the name of the buyer.

When the theft was discovered in 2004 it became a police matter. Due to restrictions from the police during their investigations it was initially not possible for us to publish a list of the stolen books. Such restrictions do not longer exist so we are happy to enclose a list for you. Some of the stolen books were found by the police when searching the home of the thief, they have been excluded from the list. No other books have been recovered. After the theft there was an internal investigation which resulted in several measures to strengthen the security at the Library.

Again, thank you for your cooperation and swift action.

Best regards

Also exposed is disgraceful behavior by the auction house Ketterer Kunst using legal rubbish to avoid cooperation on this investigation and taking a loss they richly deserve by not being vigilant.   Shame on them.  Also my response to a request for cooperation is published.

I passionately want to give back to the institutions that have created interest in my fields of art, books and maps.  But it is going to be to institutions with leaders that act with some degree of professionalism, honor and common sense.

BOOKS STOLEN FROM THE SWEDISH NATIONAL LIBRARY:

2011‐07‐16

Lista över stulna böcker ur Kungliga bibliotekets samlingar, baserad på polisens förundersökning.

(List of stolen books from the Royal Library's collections, based on the police investigation.)

1. Bodenehr, Gabriel
Europens Pracht und Macht in 200. Kupfer‐Stücken worinnen nicht nur allein die berühmtest und ansehnlichste sondern auch andere Stätte, Festungen, Schlösser, Klöster, Pässe, Residentiê, Palläste, Wasserfälle etc. dises volckreichen Welttheils vermittelst anmuthiger und eigentlicher Prospecte, sambt kurzer geographischer Beschreibung zu sonderm Nuzen û. Gemüth vergnügender Ergözung vorgestellet werden
Ca. 1710

2. Carlevaris, Luca
Le fabriche, e vedute di Venetia. Disegnat, prospe in prospettiva et intagliate da Luca Carlevaris. Venetia [1703]

3. Kepler, Johannes
Harmonices mundi libri V. Linz, 1619. –Vorgeb:Ders. Nova Stereometria doliorum vinariorum…. Linz 1615

4. Hobbes, Thomas
Leviathan, or the matter, forme, & power of a commonwealth ecclesiasitcall and civill. London, 1651

5. Donne, John
Poems. With elegies on the authors death. London, 1633

6. Goethe, Johan Wolfgang von
Das römische Carneval Berlin, 1789

7. Meissner, D.,
Sciographia Cosmica, das ist newes emblematisches Buchlein darinnen in acht Centuriis die vornembsten Stätt,Vestung Schlösser & c. der gantzen Welt gleichsamb adumbrirt und in Kupfer gestochen. Nürnberg , 1638 – 42

8. Zeiller, M (Merian, M.)
Topographia Sveviae, das ist Beschreib. und aigentliche Abcontrafeitung der fürnembsten Stätt und Plätz in Ober und Nider Schwaben... Merian. Frankfurt am Main, 1643

9. Bertius, P.
commentariorvm rervm Germanicarvm libri tres. Amsterdam, 1632

10. Borussia
Museum für Preussische Vaterlandskunde. Dresden, 1838‐1842

11. Werdenhagen, J.A.
De rebus publicis Hanseaticis tractatus cum urbium earum iconismus, descriptionibus, tabulis, geographicis et nauticis. Frankfurt, 1641

12. Hennepin, Louis
Description de la Louisiane, nouvellement decouverts au Sud'oüest de la Nouvelle France. Paris, 1683

13. Josselyn, J. New‐Englands rarities discovered in birds, beasts, fishes, serpents, and plants of that country : together with the physical and chyrurgical remedies wherewith the natives constantly use to cure their distempers, wounds, and sores : also a perfect description of an Indian squa ... with a poem not improperly conferr'd upon her : lastly, a chronological table of the most remarkable passages in that country amongst the English : illustrated with cuts / by John Josselyn, Gent. London, 1672

14. Lewis, Henry.
Das illustrirte Mississippithal, dargestellt in 80 nach der Natur aufgenommenen Ansichten vom Wasserfalle zu S:t Anthony an bis zum Golf von Mexico... Düsseldorf, 1854 – 58

15. Fürstenberg, F. von
Monumenta Paderbonensia, ex historia Romana, Francia, Saxonica eruta, et novis inscriptionibus, figures, tabulis geographicis & notis illustrata… Mit anhang: Panegyricus die natali Academiae Theodorianae Paderbornensis… Amsterdam, 1672

16. Apianus, Petrus & Neander, Michael
Cosmographia Petri Apiani, per Gemmam Frisium... iam demum ab omnibus vindicata mendis, ac nonnullis quoque locis aucta...Angeb.: Neander, M. Elementa Sphaericae doctrinae, seu de primo motu… Basel, 1561

17. Nunes, Pedro
Petri Nonii De crepusculis liber unus, nuc reces & natus et editus : Item Allacen [= Allhazen] Arabis uetustissimi, De causis crepusculorum liber unus, a Gerardo Cremonensi iam olim latinitate donatus, nunc uero omniu primum in lucem editus. Lissabon, 1542

18. Dryander, Johann
Annulorum trium, diversi generis instrumentorum astronomicorum, componendi ratio atque usus, cum quibusdam aliis lectu iucundissimis ... Marburg, 1537

19. Huygens, Christiaan
Cristiani Hvgenii ... Systema saturnium, sive de causis mirandorum saturni phænomenôn, et comite ejus planeta novo… Haag, 1659

20. Scheiner, Christoph
Oculus, hoc est: fundamentum opticum, in quo ex accurata oculi anatome, abstrusarum experientiarum sedula pervestigatione… Innsbruck, 1619

21. Kininger, Vincenz Georg Abbildung der neuen Adjustrirung der k.k. Armee. Wien, (1796‐98)

22. Papin, W. von
Bildliche Darstellung der k.k. österreichischen Armee. Wien, 1820

23. Brand, Johann Christian
Zeichnungen nach dem gemeinen Volke besonders der Kaufruf in Wien. ‐ Études prises dans le bas de peuple et principalement les cris Vienne. Wien, [1780‐89]

24. Tschudi, Aegidius
De prisca ac uera Alpina Rhaetia, cum caetero Alpinarum gentium tractu,nobilis ac eruditaex optimis quibusqu (e) ac probatissimis autoribu descriptio. Basel, 1538

25. Baudartius, W.
Polemographia Auraico‐Belgica. Amsterdam, 1621/22

26. Bertelli, Pietro
Theatrum urbium italicarum collectore Petro Bertello. Venetia, 1599

27. Scott, J
The United States gazetteer: containing an authentic description of the several states... Philadelphia, 1795

28. Venegas, Miguel
Noticia de California, y de su conquista temporal, y espiritual hasta el tiempo presente : Sacada de la historia manuscrita, formada en Mexico año de 1739 por el padre M‐ V‐ ; y de otros noticias, y relaciones antiguas y modernas... Madrid, 1757

29. Weirotter, Franz Edmund
Oeuvres de F.E.Weirotter, peintre allemand... contenant 215 paysages et ruines, dessinés d'après nature, tant en France qu'en Italie; gravés à l'eau‐forte avec beaucoup de goût, par lui‐même. Paris, 1775

30. Montanus, Arnoldus
Gedenkwaerdige gesantschappen der Oost‐Indische Maetschappy in't Vereenigde Nederland aen de kaisaren van Japan... / getrokken uit de geschriften en reis‐aentekeningen der zelve gesanten. Amsterdam, 1669

31. Champlain, Samuel de
Voyages et descouvertures faites en la Nouvelle France, depuis l'année 1615 iusques à la fin de l'année 1618... Paris, 1619

32. Dalrymple, Alexander
An historical collection of the several voyages and discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean. London, 1770‐71

33. Nieuhof, Johan
Gedenkwaerdige Zee‐en Lantreize door de voornaemste Land schappen van West en Oostindien [1‐2]. Amsterdam, 1682

34. Bordone, Benedetto
Isolario. : Nel qual si ragiona di tutte l'isole del mondo... Venetia, 1534

35. Quade, Matthias
Europæ totius terrarum orbis partis præstantissimæ, generalis ac particularis descriptio, tabulis novem et sexaginta expressa : Quibus adiuntæ sunt in singulas cartulas enarrationes breves et perspicuæ, evariis hinc inde sosmographis & scriptoribus excerptæ...per Matthiam Quadum Chalcographum. Köln, 1596

36. Occone, Adolpho
Pharmacopoeia, sev medicamentarium pro Rep. Augustana : Cui accessere simplicia omnia officinis nostris usitata, & annotationibus in eadem et composita, ab Adolpho Occone ... Augsburg, 1573

37. Zahn, Johann
Oculus artificialis teledioptricus sive telescopium, ex abditis rerum naturalium & artificialium principiis protractum nova methodo, eaque solida explicatum ac comprimis è triplici fundamento physico seu naturali, mathematico dioptrico et mechanico, seu practico stabilitum ... Nürnberg, 1702

38. Bernoulli, Daniel
Hydrodynamica, sive de viribus et motibus fluidorum commentarii. Opus academicum ab auctore, dum Petropoli ageret, congestum. Strassburg, 1738

39. Cardano, Girolamo
Hieronymi Cardani ... : Opus novum de proportionibus numerorum, motuum, ponderum, sonorum, aliarumque rerum mensurandarum ... Præterea Artis magnæ, sive de regulis algerbracis, liber unus ... Item de Aliza regula liber ...Basel, 1570

40.Destructoriu vi tiorum ex simili tudinu creatu raruz exemplo rum appropratioe per moduz dyalogi….. (Dialogus creaturum). Lyon, 1509

41. Sabbattini, Nicola.
Pratica di fabricar scene, e machine ne'teatri : Ristampata di nuovo coll'aggiunta del secondo libro
Ravenna, 1638

42. Fendt, Tobias
Monumenta sepulcrorum cum epigraphis ingenio et doctrina excellentium virorum : aliorumq. tam prisci quam nostri seculi memorabilium hominum : de arche typis expressa

43. Ferrari, Giovanni Battista
Hesperides sive de malorum aureorum cultura et usu libri quatuor Io: Baptistae Ferrarii Senensis e Societate Iesu. Rom, 1646

44. Wytfliet, Cornelius van
Descriptionis Ptolemaicæ augmentum sive Occidentis notitia brevi commentario illustrate. Louvain, 1597

45. Passebon, Henri Sbonski de
Plan de plusieurs bâtiments de mer avec leurs proportions dédié à...Louis Auguste de Bourbon... : Par Henri Sbonski de Passebon. Marseille

46. Mahmoud, Rayf
Tableau des nouveau règlemens de l'empire ottoman : Composé par Mahmoud Rayf Èfèndi. Constantinople, 1798

47. Catherwood, Frederick
Views of ancient monuments in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan. London, 1844

48. Breen, Adam van
Le maniement d'armes de Nassau, avevq rondelles, piques, espees & targes, representez par figures, selon le nouvelle ordre du tresillustre prince Maurice de Nassau... Den Haag, 1618

49. Siebold, Philipp Franz von
Nippon : Archiv zur Beschreibung von Japan und dessen Noben‐ und Schutzländern:... Leyden, 1852

50. Geiler von Kaysersberg, Johann. Predigen teutsch und vil gütter Leeren des hochgeleerten Herrn Johan von Kaisersperg. Augsburg, 1508

51. Maximilianus Transsylvanus,
Epistola, de admirabili & novissima Hispanorum in Orientem navigatione. Rom, 1523

Updated Correspondence between Mr. Gunnar Sahlin and Arader Galleries: 

Dear Graham,

Thank you for your mail.

We have not been able to get the name of the buyer who bought the atlas from Ketterer Kunst 2002. Ketterer Kunst have been very helpful in providing us with photographs of the atlas, but has informed us that for legal reasons, they are not allowed to disclose the name of the buyer.

When the theft was discovered in 2004 it became a police matter. Due to restrictions from the police during their investigations it was initially not possible for us to publish a list of the stolen books. Such restrictions do not longer exist so we are happy to enclose a list for you. Some of the stolen books were found by the police when searching the home of the thief, they have been excluded from the list. No other books have been recovered. After the theft there was an internal investigation which resulted in several measures to strengthen the security at the Library.

Again, thank you for your cooperation and swift action.

Best regards

Gunnar Sahlin

And In Response:

Dear Gunnar

Am I to understand correctly that you have NEVER published a list of the stolen books in the 8 years that you have known the books to be stolen?

How can ANYONE work to help you when you do nothing to help the trade or the great auction house Sothebys that stands to take this loss?   I know them to be incredibly honorable but this is pushing them too far in my opinion.

How can you expect me to take a $275,000 loss when you have done virtually nothing in eight years to protect me or Sothebys?

It is time for you to tell me if there is any insurance money available or if you have any donors or funds available to share in this loss for me and Sothebys.

I do not speak for Sothebys who sold the book but I do speak for myself when I say that it is my intensely strong feeling that the people who were in charge of your library after this theft was discovered have made serious errors of judgement which I am not willing to pay for at this time.

Come up with an offer of cash and actions that demonstrates this obvious fact.

You certainly can make a good start by publishing in every venue possible the full story of this event and the full list of the stolen books.

Firmly,

Graham