Norman Rockwell Painting Lazybones Art Theft Anniversary: Lost No More

Summary: The 41st anniversary of the Norman Rockwell painting Lazybones art theft June 30, 1976, is the happiest of all because of the cover art's recovery.

Lost no more: Lazybones, 1919 oil on canvas by Norman Rockwell, is also known as Boy Asleep With a Hoe or as Taking a Break: Public Domain, via FBI Art Theft

The Norman Rockwell painting Lazybones art theft June 30, 1976, affirmed a happy ending three-plus months before its 41st anniversary, through press releases and public ceremonies March 29-31, 2017, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The 25-inch (63.5-centimeter) by 28.5-inch (72.4-centimeter) oil on canvas, signed on the mid-left side, bears the alternate titles Boy Asleep with Hoe and Taking a Break. The painting behind The Saturday Evening Post's magazine cover Sept. 6, 1919, contains one hole near the signature from an accidental puncture with a pool cue. The puncture drove an unexpected change in ownership in 1954 and, subsequent to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) publicity around the theft's 40th anniversary, in possession.

Nobody expects civil or criminal proceedings in the wake of the missing painting's quiet recovery and public return to its current legal owner, Susan Grant Murta.

A radio interview by Louis Lappen, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, is credited with triggering recovery of Norman Rockwell's Lazybones: Public Domain, via U.S. Department of Justice

Special Agents Jake Archer, Timothy Carpenter and Michael Harpster and retired Special Agent Robert Bazin furnished sparse details on the recovery from a Philadelphia-area antiques dealer.

Louis D. Lappen, acting U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia, gave a radio interview during the 40th Norman Rockwell painting Lazybones art theft anniversary year as triggering recovery. Reconstructed timelines have the dealer a good-faith buyer for a few hundred dollars after the burglary in the Fox Hollow section of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Attorney Lappen identified the 40-year, kitchen whereabouts of the eighth of 11 Rockwell covers for The Saturday Evening Post in 1919 since "His wife liked Rockwell."

The sale jumpstarted ultimate recovery of the Norman Rockwell (Feb. 3, 1894-Nov. 8, 1978) painting, not of a Sony Trinitron color television and silver coin collection.

Norman Rockwell's Lazybones (1919) is lost no more: FBI Philadelphia @FBIPhiladelphia via Twitter March 31, 2017

Cherry Hill Police Department, Chubb Limited and FBI Philadelphia records keep company with Grant family reports of the break-in during an excursion to Ocean City, Maryland. Alarm-activated entry and a Chubb Limited insurance policy respectively led to a futile look by Cherry Hill policemen and to Robert and Teresa Grant's $15,000 claim.

Daughter Susan Grant Murta mentioned that "The painting was in every house we ever lived in" until the break-in through the Harrowgate Drive residence's basement window. She noted that "We're happy just to see it again" since "My father loved that painting. He was devastated. He always thought we'd get it back."

Transfer in title from Chubb back to Grant family heirs occurred through return of the Norman Rockwell painting Lazybones art theft casualty and of the payout.

Robert Grant acquired Lazybones in 1954 for $75 from the painting's previous owners, who often hosted pool games with William "Willie" Mosconi: Willie Mosconi (center) between two images of billiards player Edward "Chick" Davis in 2006 mural by John Lewis, assisted by Warren Rice; 1412 South Street, Southwest Center City neighborhood, South Philadelphia; June 30, 2013: Jason Murphy (jasonmurphyphotography), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Special Agent Bazin priced the Grant purchase at $75.00 from the painting's previous owners, Haddonfield acquaintances of pool player William Mosconi (June 27, 1913-Sept. 17, 1993).

Fran O'Brien, Chubb Group Senior Vice President and North America Personal Risk Services Division President, quantified the painting's current estimated value at $600,000 to $1 million. The exchange of the Chubb-held painting for the Grant payout resulted in a $15,000 donation to Robert Arthur Morton Stern-designed Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Laurie Norton Moffatt, CEO and Director of the world-largest original Rockwell art collection, stated, "We so greatly appreciate the generous donation to the Museum by Chubb."

Basement window holes took the Norman Rockwell painting Lazybones art theft casualty away from its owners, but the painting's hole took it back 41 years later.

The Norman Rockwell Museum benefits from Lazybones' return by receipt of Chubb's $15,000 donation; Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Berkshire County, western Massachusetts; Aug. 27, 2005: Rmrfstar, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Lost no more: Lazybones, 1919 oil on canvas by Norman Rockwell, is also known as Boy Asleep With a Hoe or as Taking a Break: Public Domain, via FBI Art Theft @ https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/philadelphia/news/press-releases/fbi-seeks-missing-norman-rockwell-painting-stolen-40-years-ago-today

Louis Lappen, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania: Public Domain, via U.S. Department of Justice @ https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/meet-us-attorney

Norman Rockwell's Lazybones (1919) is lost no more: FBI Philadelphia @FBIPhiladelphia via Twitter March 31, 2017, @ https://twitter.com/FBIPhiladelphia/status/847883880820494336

Robert Grant acquired Lazybones in 1954 for $75 from the painting's previous owners, who often hosted pool games with William "Willie" Mosconi: Willie Mosconi (center) between two images of billiards player Edward "Chick" Davis in 2006 mural by John Lewis, assisted by Warren Rice; 1412 South Street, Southwest Center City neighborhood, South Philadelphia; June 30, 2013: Jason Murphy (jasonmurphyphotography), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonmurphyphotography/9177690998/

The Norman Rockwell Museum benefits from Lazybones' return by receipt of $15,000 donation; Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Berkshire County, western Massachusetts; Aug. 27, 2005: Rmrfstar, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rockwell_museum.jpg

For further information:

Adamowski, Carrie. "FBI Seeks Missing Norman Rockwell Painting Stolen 40 Years Ago Today." FBI > News > FBI Philadelphia. June 30, 2016.
Available @ https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/philadelphia/news/press-releases/fbi-seeks-missing-norman-rockwell-painting-stolen-40-years-ago-today

Adamowski, Carrie. "Forty Years After Theft, Stolen Norman Rockwell Painting Recovered and Returned to Owners." FBI > Field Offices > Philadelphia > News. March 31, 2107.
Available @ https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/philadelphia/news/press-releases/forty-years-after-theft-stolen-norman-rockwell-painting-recovered-and-returned-to-owners

FBI Philadelphia @FBIPhiladelphia. ".@FBIPhiladelphia art crime agents stand w/N. Rockwell painting recovered 40 yrs after it was stolen from S. Jersey home." Twitter. March 31, 2017.
Available @ https://twitter.com/FBIPhiladelphia/status/847883880820494336

Johanson, Kristen. 30 March 2017. "Famous Stolen Rockwell Painting Located Thanks to Accidental Puncture." CBS Broadcasting Inc > CBS Local > CBS Philly > News.
Available @ http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2017/03/30/famous-stolen-rockwell-painting-located-thanks-to-accidental-puncture/

O'Reilly, David; and Shaw, Julie. 1 July 2016. "40-Year-Old Theft Vexes FBI: $1M Rockwell Gone from Cherry Hill." Philadelphia Media Networks (Digital) LLC > Philly.com > The Inquirer Daily News > News > New Jersey.
Available @ http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20160701_40_years_on__feds__police_seek_help_finding_stolen_Norman_Rockwell_painting.html

"Report: FBI Recovers Norman Rockwell Painting Taken in 1976." WRCB-TV > News > March 30, 2017.
Available @ https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/philadelphia/news/press-releases/fbi-seeks-missing-norman-rockwell-painting-stolen-40-years-ago-today

Riordan, Kevin. 24 November 2013. "Still a Hole Where Stolen Rockwell Used To Be." Philadelphia Media Networks (Digital) LLC > Philly.com > The Inquirer Daily News > News > Columnists.
Available @ http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/20131124_Years_later__stolen_Rockwell_painting_still_sought.html

Riordan, Kevin. 29 March 2017. "$1M Rockwell, Stolen from Cherry Hill in '70s, to be Reunited with Owners." Philadelphia Media Network (Digital) LLC > Philly.com > The Inquirer Daily News > News > Kevin Riordan.
Available @ http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/kevin_riordan/1M-Rockwell-stolen-from-Cherry-Hill-in-70s-is-recovered.html

Taylor, Laurie. 31 March 2017. "Chubb Returns Stolen Norman Rockwell Painting 40 Years After Theft." Chubb > News Releases.
Available @ http://news.na.chubb.com/2017-03-31-Chubb-Returns-Stolen-Norman-Rockwell-Painting-40-Years-After-Theft

Thomas, Lauren. 31 March 2017. "Norman Rockwell Painting Returns Home, 40 Years After Theft." CNBC > Home US > News > Life.
Available @ http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/31/norman-rockwell-painting-returns-home-40-years-after-theft.html

Walsh, Jim. 31 March 2017. "FBI Returns Painting Stolen 40 Years Ago in Cherry Hill." Courier-Post > South Jersey.
Available @ http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/local/south-jersey/2017/03/31/fbi-returns-painting-stolen-40-years-ago-cherry-hill/99862036/