The library began selling its 56-piece collection of fine art in 2005—so far raising nearly $450,000—because it lacks the proper resources for preservation. However, four paintings by Julius Moessel (1872–1960), acquired by the library in 1945, can’t be found, the Merrillville Post-Tribune reported December 29.
Director Don Glossinger said one painting has been missing since 1985 and another since 1990; the others couldn’t be found during a 2001 appraisal. He suggested the works, valued around $300 to $500 each, might have been inadvertently sold when a collection of prints that had been available for checkout was sold off.
“It’s a mystery why anyone would want them. They are not coveted,” Glossinger said. “If there’s an art thief in northwest Indiana, he is not very bright.”
Posted December 30, 2005.