The Forged and The Filched: Weirdest and Wildest Private Collections - Atlas Obscura Experiences

The Forged and The Filched: Weirdest and Wildest Private Collections

1 hour
$12 per device
See Dates
$12 per device
$12 per person
See Dates
What We’ll Do

Craving more mystery with your art history? Join Kylie Holloway and Erin Thompson for an exploration of the most fascinating forgeries and thefts in the art world. We’ll zoom in on the secret history of the works of art themselves and then hear the scandalous story of the work’s theft or forgery from the only full-time professor of art crime in America.

This month we'll be looking at curious cabinets of curiosities! A Greek statue in the living room, a 15th century broadsword in the kitchen, and a Picasso above the toilet. Erin and Kylie are taking you on a tour of the oddest private collections in the world- and the unscrupulous methods it took to acquire these treasure troves.

About Your Host
Erin and Kylie
Erin and Kylie

Erin Thomson is America’s only full-time professor of art crime. She studies the damage done to humanity’s shared heritage through looting, theft, and the deliberate destruction of art. She has discussed art crime topics in, e.g., The New York Times, CNN, NPR, and has been invited to lecture at MIT, Carnegie Mellon, and Columbia. Her book, Possession: The Curious History of Private Collectors, is now out from Yale University Press.

Kylie Holloway is a performer and live events producer who uses comedy to celebrate the forgotten women of history and artists you should know about. She is an in-house producer at Caveat where she runs the Nevertheless She Existed live show and podcast as well as Ride or Die: Oregon Trail Live and Blood in the Water: Drag Queens and Scientists Roast Sea Creatures. You can catch her onstage as Art Expert In-residence at Modern Whitney or as a tour guide at museums across the country.

What Else You Should Know

Once registered, you can access the Zoom room for this experience through your confirmation email or Eventbrite account. Atlas Obscura online experiences are recommended for attendees age 13+.

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