An investigator checking a window for fingerprints after the theft of the Star of India, a 563-carat sapphire the size of a golf ball and other germs were stolen from the American Museum of Natural History Hall of Gems on 29 October 1964.

Across the world, many of the most beloved museums are housed in centuries-old buildings, architectural treasures that, while magnificent, bring unique risk management challenges. Historic facades, original doors, and delicate window glass may charm visitors, but they were never designed for the rigours of modern museum operations.  Not to mention they require periodic and costly maintenance which only  increases their vulnerability. These fragile elements, though aesthetically invaluable, offer little defense against vibration, temperature swings, or forced entry, leaving museum collections more vulnerable than their counterparts in modern, purpose-built institutions.

Jack Ronald Murphy, the infamous "Murph the Surf", was among the thieves behind the audacious 1964 American Museum of Natural History jewel heist in New York. Boasting afterward that "it really was no big deal — a job like this we could pull off anytime," Murphy and his accomplices were swiftly caught, just days after stealing the extraordinary cache of diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and gem-studded jewellery, in part because of their extraordinary partying afterward. 

While lawyers in this case negotiated relatively lenient deals for the trio connected to the museum's burglary, "Murph" was incarcerated for two decades, tried for the brutal robbery/homicides of Terry Rae Frank and Annelle Marie Mohn in Broward County, Florida whose bodies were recovered in tidal waters, with cement blocks fastened around their necks.  Just a side point to underscore and think about when the public questions, museum security guards engagement with thieves while still in the midst of a violent robbery. 

Scaffolding at the Louvre in Paris, allowed access to the building which allowed burglars to steal the diamond encrusted sword of King Charles X, on December 16, 1976.

Beyond physical vulnerability, environmental control presents another hurdle. In cities where summer temperatures soar, galleries within heritage structures often struggle to maintain stable climate conditions essential for not only the preservation of art in the collection, but for the comfort of the museum's visitors.  Retrofitting historic spaces for efficient temperature regulation without compromising their integrity is technically difficult and financially demanding.

View of St. Peter's Basilica from inside I Musei Caticani

Complicating matters further, strict preservation laws sometimes limits the scope of modern interventions. Legislation designed to protect authenticity can inadvertently hinder building upgrades which would provide better protection, forcing institutions into a delicate balancing act between conservation ethics and contemporary security demands. This is why it’s not uncommon to find state-of-the-art display cases housed in rooms where the original, centuries-old windows still serve as vulnerable entry points.

Finely engraved gold by the Etruscans alongside refined glass paste of Syria protected inside alarmed cases in the Villa Poniatowski (Villa Giulia), a Renaissance villa that houses Italy's National Etruscan Museum

One thing to remember, as art thieves become increasingly resourceful, blending tried and true old methods with new targets for theft, today's historic museums face mounting pressure to innovate within the constraints of their own history, ensuring that beauty and security can coexist without compromise.

If you’d like to learn more about how to safeguard museums and cultural heritage, consider applying to ARCA’s Postgraduate programmes in Art Crime and Cultural Heritage Protection. These unique courses offer specialised training in risk assessment, security strategy, and the legal and ethical dimensions of cultural property protection. It’s an invaluable opportunity for truly understand that  preservationcomes with professional expertise.

Five ornate snuff boxes stolen in a 2024 museum heist in France have been recovered.  Made of gold, precious stones, mother-of-pearl and enamel and valued at over €1M, the items had been stolen on 20 November 2024 from the Musée Cognacq-Jay, located in the Marais neighbourhood of the 3rd arrondissement of Paris.                                                                                     On that date, four individuals, armed with axes and baseball bats, burst into the museum during "Luxe de poche. Petits objets précieux au siècle des Lumières," a temporary exhibition showcasing a variety of intricate boxes representative of the Age of Enlightenment,  while the museum's patrons could do nothing but stand and watch.  Wearing gloves and having donned hoods and helmets to conceal their identities, the daylight smash-and-grab team bashed open a single display case containing high-value jewel boxes loaned for the event from the Château de Versailles, the Musée du Louvre, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the Palais Galliera, the English Royal Collections and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

In and out before police could arrive, the culprits made a hasty getaway on scooters, driving off into Paris traffic with a total of seven bejewelled boxes, 

Which five boxes have been recovered?

This gold snuff box dating from the 18th century and encrusted with agate cabochons made by Johann Christian Neuber, a famous Dresden goldsmith known for his gold Steinkabinettabatiere.  This object had been on loan from the Musée du Louvre. 

This snuff box made of agate plates dating from 1760-1770, with hard stone reliefs, joined by a gold cage mount, and a lid encrusted with numerous brilliant-cut diamonds,  was made by Daniel Baudesson, and also on loan from the Musée du Louvre. 

This chrysoprase snuffbox was made in Berlin, Germany, in c. 1765and is associated with Frederick II, the Great, of Prussia (1712-1786). Its been previously on display at the Somerset House as part of the Gilbert Collection ©,  The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

This diamond-encrusted, varicoloured-gold snuffbox, decorated with figures in neo-classical landscapes was once gifted to Thomas Dimsdale (1712-1800), by Catherine II during the Russian smallpox epidemic of 1768.  part of the Gilbert Collection ©,  The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Police are still searching for:

This 16th century gold and lapis cartouche shaped snuff box with a cameo of the Birth of Venus Cameo from the UK's Royal Trust. 

Another snuff box made by Johann Christian Neuber, this one from c. 1780 which combined his own technique of Zellenmosaik, or mosaic of hardstones set into gold collets, with the technique of Roman micromosaics only then recently developed.  It is part of the Gilbert Collection ©,  The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

For now, the police and prosecutors remain tight-lipped on when or with whom these pieces were retrieved, but for now at least there has been some positive movement in the investigation.