[MSN] Original Disney artwork stolen in 1991 from the Museum of Cartoon Art in Rye Brook has been recovered, Rye Brook Chief of Police Gregory Austin announced today

[Museum Security Network Mailing list]

Disney artwork stolen from Rye museum in '91 recovered in Florida

By LESLIE KORNGOLD
THE JOURNAL NEWS


(Original publication: January 4, 2008)

RYE BROOK - Original Disney artwork stolen in 1991 from the Museum of
Cartoon Art in Rye Brook has been recovered, Rye Brook Chief of Police
Gregory Austin announced today. 

The two pieces, watercolors of Mickey Mouse as he appeared in the
"Sorcerer's Apprentice," were valued at between $60,000 and $80,000 at the
time of the theft, Austin said. 

The pictures were among a collection of assorted unwanted items that were
being sold from a Florida storage facility in 2007, a Rye Brook police
release said. 

They passed through another set of hands before Bill Tirrell, an independent
antiques dealer in New Smyna Beach, Fla., acquired the two small pictures
for an undisclosed sum. Researching their history, he discovered that they
were stolen and notified Rye Brook police Oct. 30. 

Getting the 4 1/2 -inch-by-13-inch and 3 1/4 -inch-by-18 1/2 -inch pictures
to New York and the process of authentification took time, Austin said. The
pictures are two of five pieces stolen from the Fantasia Collection that was
on loan to the museum when the theft occurred. The museum relocated to Boca
Raton, Fla., in 1993. 

"We are pleased that part of this collection has been recovered," Austin
said. "Hopefully the remaining three pieces can be found." 

Rye Brook police will continue to investigate the theft to locate the three
remaining missing pieces of art and possibly determine who was responsible
for the thefts, Austin said.