SAFE Hosts New Stolen History Tour at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts



April 8, 2005 -- Every day, ancient sites around the world are being plundered and destroyed by looters to supply the illicit antiquities trade. While most of the items acquired through clandestine digging and smuggling remain hidden in private collections, the finest pieces acquired via this seldom-discussed part of the international art market are no secret. They often find their way into world-class museums.

After leading four sold-out SAFE Tours of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Roger Atwood, author of "Stealing History" and expert on the international antiquities trade, returns to the Boston MFA on Sunday, April 10th at 10:30am and 12:30pm to kick off a new series of "SAFE Tours" sponsored by SAFE (Saving Antiquities for Everyone). Among the masterworks of dubious origin highlighted in the tour will be the "Weary Herakles". The inside story of this masterpiece, how the Boston MFA acquired and
how they describe it, is sure to amaze. Nearly a dozen prominent and lesser-known gems, spanning many different cultures, will be covered under Mr. Atwood's expert guidance.

"Those who take the tour rarely see museum collections the same way again", says Cindy Ho, Founder and President of SAFE (Saving Antiquities for Everyone), which launched the first series of "Stolen History" Tours in 2004. "As pillars of civilization are removed from distant lands and installed in major museums under the radar of unsuspecting citizens, history is often rewritten or partially obscrued in order to hide the origins of masterworks that we thought we knew. SAFE is grateful to Roger Atwood for leading the 'Stolen History' sharing his expertise."

Copies of Roger Atwood's recent book, "Stealing History: Tomb Raiders, Smugglers, and the Looting of the Ancient World" (St. Martin's Press, 2004) will be available at the to our for signing by the author.

SAFE Stolen History Tour
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
April 10, 2005 at 10:30am and 12:30 pm
Space at each tour is limited

RSVP: e-mail protected from spam bots

About SAFE
SAFE (Saving Antiquities for Everyone) creates educational programs and media campaigns to raise public awareness about the importance of preserving cultural heritage worldwide. SAFE is a coalition of professionals in communications, media, and advertising working alongside experts in the academic, legal and law enforcement communities. SAFE has no political affiliations and is sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), a 501(c)(3) corporation. For more information please go to: http://www.savingantiquities.org

Contact:
Cindy Ho
Founder and President
Saving Antiquities for Everyone
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SAFE Hosts New Stolen History Tour at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts