Rare Stained-Glass Window Stolen
from Massachusetts Library
Library officials in Quincy, Massachusetts, recently discovered the theft of a stained-glass window created by artist John LaFarge and worth $100,000–$200,000.
The cloisonné-style panel, called The Old Philosopher, has been on display in the Thomas Crane Public Library’s H. H. Richardson building since 1883. It was apparently stolen in January when windows in the building were covered with plywood and particle board during a restoration project. The theft was discovered April 30 when Library Director Ann McLaughlin went to the Richardson wing to check the progress of the restoration.
The Quincy Patriot Ledger reported May 2 that a less valuable LaFarge panel was left untouched next to The Old Philosopher. A third panel, discovered by a staff member in a closet in 1998, is currently being restored. The artist is known for the larger stained-glass windows he created for architect Richardson’s Trinity Church in Boston’s Copley Square.
Quincy police, state police, and the FBI are investigating the theft, but prospects for finding the culprit are dim. “The trail is so cold,” said Quincy Police Captain Robert Crowley. “This happened four months ago.”
Posted May 7, 2001.
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