Original source (on modern site) | Article images: [1] [2]
COURTESY PHOTO A photograph of Victor Higgins' "Aspens," one of two paintings stolen from the Harwood Museum in 1985, as seen from the Harwood Museum's archives.
COURTESY PHOTO A photograph of Joseph Henry Sharp's "Indian Boy in Full Dress," one of two paintings stolen from the Harwood Museum in 1985, as seen from the Harwood Museum's archives.
Courtesy "The Thief Collector" XTR A still from the 2022 documentary film "The Thief Collector" shows a photograph of Jerry Alter playing his clarinet beneath the two stolen Harwood Museum of Art paintings by Joseph Henry Sharp and Victor Higgins.
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, demonstrates to the Taos News how the paintings were likely taken out of the Harwood Museum as one of the alleged thieves, Jerry Alter, hid the painting in his trench coat, as seen on Monday (April 22).
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, shows the Taos News the exact location in the Harwood Museum where one of the paintings was taken off of the wall by one of the alleged thieves, Jerry Alter, as seen on Monday (April 22).
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News Nicole Dial-Kay, current curator of exhibition and collections at the Harwood Museum, and David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, pose for a photo on Monday (April 22).
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, speaks with the Taos News as he recalls details of the day that the paintings were stolen out of the Harwood Museum on Monday (April 22).
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, speaks with the Taos News about the incident on Monday (April 22).
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, speaks with the Taos News as he recalls details of the day that the paintings were stolen out of the Harwood Museum on Monday (April 22).
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, demonstrates to the Taos News how the paintings were likely taken out of the Harwood Museum as one of the alleged thieves, Rita Alter, distracted the librarian by requesting help with her fake wheelchair in the elevator, as seen on Monday (April 22).
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, speaks with the Taos News as he recalls details of the day that the paintings were stolen out of the Harwood Museum on Monday (April 22).
Suspects at root of Willem de Kooning 'Woman-Ochre' mystery
COURTESY PHOTO
A photograph of Victor Higgins' "Aspens," one of two paintings stolen from the Harwood Museum in 1985, as seen from the Harwood Museum's archives.
COURTESY PHOTO
A photograph of Joseph Henry Sharp's "Indian Boy in Full Dress," one of two paintings stolen from the Harwood Museum in 1985, as seen from the Harwood Museum's archives.
Courtesy "The Thief Collector" XTR
A still from the 2022 documentary film "The Thief Collector" shows a photograph of Jerry Alter playing his clarinet beneath the two stolen Harwood Museum of Art paintings by Joseph Henry Sharp and Victor Higgins.
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News
David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, demonstrates to the Taos News how the paintings were likely taken out of the Harwood Museum as one of the alleged thieves, Jerry Alter, hid the painting in his trench coat, as seen on Monday (April 22).
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News
David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, shows the Taos News the exact location in the Harwood Museum where one of the paintings was taken off of the wall by one of the alleged thieves, Jerry Alter, as seen on Monday (April 22).
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News
Nicole Dial-Kay, current curator of exhibition and collections at the Harwood Museum, and David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, pose for a photo on Monday (April 22).
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News
David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, speaks with the Taos News as he recalls details of the day that the paintings were stolen out of the Harwood Museum on Monday (April 22).
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News
David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, speaks with the Taos News about the incident on Monday (April 22).
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News
David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, speaks with the Taos News as he recalls details of the day that the paintings were stolen out of the Harwood Museum on Monday (April 22).
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News
David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, demonstrates to the Taos News how the paintings were likely taken out of the Harwood Museum as one of the alleged thieves, Rita Alter, distracted the librarian by requesting help with her fake wheelchair in the elevator, as seen on Monday (April 22).
DANIEL PEARSON/Taos News
David Witt, former curator at the Harwood Museum when the paintings were stolen in 1985, speaks with the Taos News as he recalls details of the day that the paintings were stolen out of the Harwood Museum on Monday (April 22).
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my name is David Van Auker and I am one of the people who purchased and returned the de Kooning painting. I just wanted to comment on the off chance that the person or persons who purchased the paintings stolen from the Harwood may see this. I just wanted to say that so much joy has come to us from helping to "right a wrong" that was perpetrated by the Alters. I keep hearing people say that these were "victimless crimes", they were not. These thefts hurt many people on many levels. I cannot express the joy we have felt by restoring a little bit of good back into the world. I want to remove the "stain" of the Alters in any way I can. These were evil, selfish, horrible people who think they "got away with it" but they did not! Their legacy in this world will be that they were nothing more than dirty thieves. Returning the de Kooning has been the highlight of my life and I am so proud that the Universe gave us the gift of removing a bit of evil from this world.
The museum public and art admirers are grateful for what you did. I look forward to viewing the de Kooning when next in Tucson. I hope to have the chance to see Higgins' Aspens during my lifetime.
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