International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection

Noah's new book: The Thefts of the Mona Lisa

Dear Friends:

I hope you are all well and enjoying your summer. I just wanted to let you know that I have a new book that was just released, entitled The Thefts of the Mona Lisa: On Stealing the World’s Most Famous Painting. An extended essay in book form, this is published by ARCA, the non-profit that I founded which supports the study of art crime. All profits from the print edition of this book support ARCA. The book was written to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the theft of the Mona Lisa, which is August 21 of this year.

If you are interested in the Mona Lisa, Picasso, the Louvre, or art theft, and if you’d like to support a good cause, please consider ordering a copy. If you have any friends or colleagues who might also be interested, please let them know about it, as well.

You can order a copy on Amazon by clicking here.

And if you like the book and would consider writing a supportive review on Amazon, that would be wonderfully helpful.

Below is a short summary of the book. Many thanks for your support and best wishes!

Noah

The Thefts of the Mona Lisa: On Stealing the World’s Most Famous Painting

(ARCA Publications 2011)

Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait, called the Mona Lisa, is without doubt the world’s most famous painting. It achieved its fame not only because it is a remarkable example of Renaissance portraiture, created by an acclaimed artistic and scientific genius, but because of its criminal history. The Mona Lisa (also called La Gioconda or La Joconde) was stolen on 21 August 1911 by an Italian, Vincenzo Peruggia. Peruggia was under the mistaken impression that the Mona Lisa had been stolen from Italy during the Napoleonic era, and he wished to take back for Italy one of his country’s greatest treasures. His successful theft of the painting from the Louvre, the farcical manhunt that followed, and Peruggia’s subsequent trial in Florence were highly publicized, sparking the attention of the international media, and catapulting an already admired painting into stratospheric heights of fame. This book tells the art and criminal history of the Mona Lisa. This extended essay in book form, prepared to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the 1911 theft, examines the criminal biography of Leonardo’s Mona Lisa, with a focus on separating fact from fiction in the story of what is not only the most famous art heist in history, but which is the single most famous theft of all time. In the process this book also tells of Leonardo’s creation of the Mona Lisa, discusses why it is so famous, and investigates two other events in its history of theft and renown. First, it examines the so-called “affaire des statuettes,” in which Pablo Picasso and Guillaume Apollinaire were arrested under suspicion of involvement in the theft of the Mona Lisa. Second, there has long been a question as to whether the Nazis stole the Mona Lisa during the Second World War—a question that this book seeks to resolve. This book provides a strong introduction to the Mona Lisa and the thefts surrounding it.

“Noah Charney is the Sherlock Holmes of art theft. Beyond his great sleuthing prowess, he writes with the simple grace of a novelist and the erudition of a scholar. Here his subject could be no more dramatic: the impossible-but-true story of the most famous of all paintings, the Mona Lisa. It is a tale that bounces along, implicating the likes of Apollinaire, Picasso, the Nazis, and Nat King Cole. It is easy to pick up and very hard to put down.”

-Mark Lamster, author of Master of Shadows: the Secret Diplomatic Career of the Painter Peter Paul Rubens

"Deftly written and riveting to read."

-Sidney Kirkpatrick, author of Hitler's Holy Relics

“Few writers have brought the issue of art theft to the fore with the fervor of Noah Charney. With The Thefts of the Mona Lisa: On Stealing the World’s Most Famous Painting, Charney has created a work that is equal parts lucid art history and thrilling true crime. Both the popular myths and the hidden truths surrounding the theft and recovery of Leonardo’s seminal work provide art theft investigators and museum security directors with important lessons for solving—and preventing—art crime today.”

-Anthony Amore, art theft and security expert and author of Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists

Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program

Program Overview

The Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program provides funds to states, territories, Indian tribal governments, communities, and universities for hazard mitigation planning and the implementation of mitigation projects prior to a disaster event.

Funding these plans and projects reduces overall risks to the population and structures, while also reducing reliance on funding from actual disaster declarations. PDM grants are to be awarded on a competitive basis and without reference to state allocations, quotas, or other formula-based allocation of funds.

Program Guidance Links

The Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) application period opened on June 1, 2011 and the June 1, 2010 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Unified Guidance is now available. The June 1, 2010 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Unified Guidance is available in the FEMA Library.

PDM guidance from previous fiscal years can be accessed through the PDM archives.

National Ranking Factors

FEMA will provide additional ranking points for all eligible mitigation planning and project subapplications on the basis of predetermined, objective, quantitative factors to calculate a final National Ranking Score for each subapplication. Applicant management cost subapplications will not be scored, but will be awarded based on planning and project subapplications awarded for each Applicant. The 2012 National Ranking factors will be available in the FEMA library.

National Evaluation Panel Factors

Panels composed of representatives from FEMA, State, Territories, local governments, Federally recognized Indian Tribal governments, and other Federal agencies will peer evaluate project and planning subapplications on the basis of qualitative factors. The 2012 National Evaluation Panel Planning Factors and the 2012 National Evaluation Panel Project Factors will be available in the FEMA library.

Partnership with the HUD Sustainable Housing and Communities Initiative

FEMA continues to partner with HUD regarding the principles set forth in the HUD Sustainable Housing and Communities initiative and will utilize information from the PDM project and planning subapplications to guide future opportunities for program collaboration. FEMA supports the HUD program goals for strategic local approaches to sustainable development by combining hazard mitigation objectives with the community development objectives. The community development objectives support regional planning efforts that integrate housing and transportation decisions, and increase state, regional, and local capacity to incorporate livability, sustainability, and social equity values into land use plans, zoning and infrastructure investments. Therefore, FEMA will note sustainability principles that are included in the PDM planning and project subapplications.

The subapplicant has identified sustainable principles in their planning/project application.
The subapplicant has identified how the proposed activity relates to the HUD Sustainable Housing and Community initiative.
The subapplicant has described how the HUD Sustainable Housing and Community initiative relates to the proposed activity.

If you would like to learn more about the HUD Sustainable Housing and Communities initiative please visit http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/program_offices/sustainable_housing_communities.

Live Webinar: A Focus on the Next Generation of Open-area Smoke Detection Technology

Free Live Webinar
Thursday, July 28, 2011
2:00pm ET / 11:00am PT
Duration: 60 Minutes

A Focus on the Next Generation of Open-area Smoke Detection Technology

Register now for this live webinar

Infrastructure with large open spaces presents unique challenges for fire detection systems. Buildings such as stadiums, airports and rail stations, hotels, convention centers and warehouses demand a fire detection solution that is sensitive to diluted smoke, is non-intrusive on the space and operates reliably without frequency of nuisance alarms. Optical beam smoke detection systems have commonly been applied in these applications due to their cost effectiveness and simplicity. However, the perceived issues with traditional beam detectors have primarily been their difficulty to align and proneness to nuisance alarms. The industry strives to improve methods to reliably and economically identify false stimuli such as dust, steam, obstructions and misalignment while ensuring a safe response to real threats. Technology innovations known as Open-area Smoke Imaging Detection (OSID) have emerged which improve on the fundamental basis of optical beam detection.

This webinar will discuss technological advancements of smoke detection for large open areas.

Earn CEUs: The Society of Fire Protection Engineers will award attendees 0.1 CEUs for participating in the entire webinar.

Register now for this live webinar

Moderated By:

Morgan J. Hurley, P.E., FSFPE
Technical Editor
The Society of Fire
Protection Engineers

Presented By:

Sue Sadler
Vice President Sales
Xtralis

Wes Marcks
Regional Sales Manager
Xtralis

HI-FOG® Passes Seismic Test, Demonstrates Water Mist Fire Protection Can Withstand Earthquake of Up to 1G of Force

ASHLAND, MA, USA, June 14th – Marioff North America announces that its HI-FOG System with a SPU-6 Sprinkler Pump Unit has passed a seismic qualifying test. The test demonstrated that the 7,500-pound system can withstand the effects of an earthquake of up to 1G of force and continue operating. HI-FOG water mist fire protection uses high pressure to force pure, potable water through specially designed and patented sprinklers, creating a mist that suppresses or extinguishes fire. Marioff is a business of UTC Fire & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

The qualifying test for the HI-FOG System was performed by independent laboratories in Pittsburgh that simulated an earthquake. The system consisting of spray heads, tubing, valves, the pump unit and all other material to be installed was mounted on a shaker table that exerted the 1G forces of a sustained quake. “Independent testing has proven and affirmed that this HI-FOG System is rugged enough to make it through a seismic event and remain fully functional. This successful test gives safety officials confidence that HI-FOG will control or suppress fire in an emergency resulting from an earthquake,” said David L. Sibiga, Director of Project Engineering and Technical Support at Marioff North America. As a result of this test, HI-FOG is expected to be installed at four nuclear power plants in Canada.

The test data and documentation can also be used to demonstrate that HI-FOG is capable of operating in the Northeast and Midwest sections of the United States and select regions of Canada that experience earthquakes of up to 1G force. Power generators, hospitals and prisons in these regions are expected to begin requiring emergency equipment to achieve seismic qualification. “They’re starting to implement a similar program to that used by the nuclear industry and in the future will be demanding that equipment be seismically qualified,” said Sibiga.

HI-FOG water mist fire protection uses fine droplets that suppress or extinguish fires by cooling the fire itself and the air surrounding it, blocking the radiant heat and displacing oxygen from the seat of the fire. The small droplets vaporize fast, absorbing heat very efficiently and facilitating a safer evacuation of the occupants. HI-FOG uses 70-90 percent less water than traditional sprinklers. Less water means less damage, faster cleanup and minimal business interruption. “With HI-FOG there is minimal runoff and virtually no environmental impact. You just dry everything out and go on,” said Sibiga.

HI-FOG features small, bendable stainless steel tubes that are easy to install and can be hidden from view. The system can draw water from public supplies as well as compact, on-site water tanks. Because HI-FOG uses clean, potable water, the system can be activated even as people are evacuating a fire-stricken area. “We can activate the system immediately upon an alarm. That minimizes damage and makes it inherently safe for anyone in the area,” said Sibiga.

About Marioff:

Marioff is a business of UTC Fire & Security, which provides fire safety and security solutions to more than one million customers worldwide. Headquartered in Connecticut, UTC Fire & Security is a unit of United Technologies Corp., which provides high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries worldwide. More information about Marioff and UTC Fire & Security is available at www.marioff.com and www.utcfireandsecurity.com.

Contact:

James T. McGuinness
Marketing
Marioff North America
400 Main Street
Ashland, MA 01721
Phone: 1-800-654-7763
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.marioff.com

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