The Gardner Heist

Between 1899 and 1901, Isabella Stewart Gardner oversaw the design and construction of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. She was an admirer and collector of art, and her brilliant mind and ambitious lifestyle earned her quite a reputation in Boston. A local reporter once called her “one of the seven wonders” of the city.

Gardner built a museum to house the art collection she began with her husband, who suddenly died of a stroke in 1898. She was determined to fulfill their dream.

The museum was Gardner’s own work of art. She carefully decided where to display each drawing, painting, and sculpture in the collection. Before she died in 1924, she wrote in her will that nothing in the museum was to be changed. She said the building was “for the education and enjoyment of the public forever.”

March 18, 1990, 1:24 a.m.: Rick Abath, a security guard, was on late-night watch at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum when he heard the doorbell buzz.

The “police officers” asked Abath if he was alone. He told them there was another guard with him named Randy Hestand. The cops ordered Abath to get Hestand, so Abath called him down with a walkie-talkie. One of the cops asked Abath, “Have I seen you somewhere before?” Abath replied that he didn’t know. “I think there is a warrant out for your arrest,” said the officer. Then he told Abath to come out from behind the desk.

The cops ordered the guards to stand against the wall, and then handcuffed them. Hestand, scared and confused, repeatedly asked, “Why are we being arrested?” As the cops wrapped the guards’ heads in duct tape, one of them proclaimed, “Gentlemen, this is a robbery.”

The fake officers tied up the guards and left them in the basement of the museum.

The thieves cut paintings out of their frames and, after 81 minutes inside the museum, the two made their escape. They stole 13 works in all. Today, the net value of what they stole is approximately $500 million.

The next morning, the guards were discovered tied up in the basement. Word spread like wildfire, and the press began hounding the already devastated museum staff. The museum initially offered a $1 million reward to anyone who could provide a lead to the stolen art. Today, the reward has increased to $10 million, yet the paintings are still missing. The investigation has continued for decades. Many believe the theft was an inside job.

Over time, awareness of the Gardner heist has grown, which many hope will lead to the safe recovery of the artwork. It also means the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is more famous than ever. Though important artworks were lost, the theft has inspired several contemporary artworks, books, the creation of a documentary on Netflix, and a podcast detailing the investigation’s progress over the years. Though much was lost when the heist occurred, the world has gained new creative works, each with a history of its own.