1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:02,120 Speaker 1: The Stay in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Greetings everyone, Welcome to this day in History class, 3 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: where we learn a smidgen of history every day. Today 4 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 1: is May seven nineteen. The day was May seventh, nine, 5 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: just about three months after it was stolen Edvard Monk's 6 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:35,239 Speaker 1: painting The Scream was recovered from a hotel room in Norway. 7 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: Monk created four versions of The Scream, a well known 8 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:46,159 Speaker 1: expressionistic work depicting a person screaming in anguish. One of 9 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: those versions, the three painting, made with tempera on cardboard, 10 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: was in the National Museum in Oslo. As the nineteen 11 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: Winter Olympics were approaching, the museum moved The Scream to 12 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: the ground floor gallery, even though the ground floor is 13 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 1: typically the riskiest floor when it comes to potential for 14 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 1: art theft. The museum had safety systems like cameras and alarms, 15 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 1: but on February twel the day of the Olympics opening 16 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 1: ceremony in Norway, two men arrived at the National Gallery 17 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 1: in a van. They leaned a ladder against the wall, 18 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: broke a window and climbed inside the building to steal 19 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: the valuable painting. At around six thirty in the morning, 20 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: the museum's alarm was triggered. A guard called the police, 21 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: but the men had already cut the Scream off the 22 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: wall and escaped with the painting. The whole operation only 23 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: took fifty seconds and was captured on tape by a 24 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: surveillance camera. The thieves left a postcard in the gallery 25 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: that read thanks for the poor security. Some people believed 26 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: that the theft was a publicity stunt. It would be 27 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: nearly impossible to sell a famous stolen work of art. 28 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: A former pre east and leader in the anti abortion 29 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: movement did a radio interview less than a week after 30 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: the theft where he claimed the painting would turn up 31 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: if the National Television Company aired an anti abortion film 32 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: called The Silent Scream That never happened. In early March, 33 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 1: a lawyer working for the anti abortion movement said one 34 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: of his clients could provide for the paintings return if 35 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: he was paid a million dollars. That claim was also 36 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: dismissed when the National Gallery received a ransom demand of 37 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: one million dollars. They refused to pay it, but the 38 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: assistant police chief in Oslo did enlist the Scotland Yard 39 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: Squad that specializes in art and antiquity stuff to help 40 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: solve the crime and get the painting back. They mounted 41 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:47,639 Speaker 1: a sting operation to catch the people who were seeking 42 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: the ransom, and planted a rumor that the National Gallery 43 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: set up a deal with the Getty Museum in California, 44 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:55,920 Speaker 1: where the Getty would pay the ransom if it could 45 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 1: borrow the painting after it was returned. The thieves took 46 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: de bit In late April and early May, police found 47 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: pieces of the painting's frame at a bus stop and 48 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: other places in nitz it All, near Oslo, but detectives 49 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,239 Speaker 1: reached the end of their trail when two British agents 50 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: posing as officials from the getting Museum said they would 51 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: pay for the painting. On Saturday in May seventh, they 52 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 1: viewed the painting in room of the Hotel oscar Stride. 53 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 1: Then they went to the Grand Hotel in Oslo, where 54 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: they were supposed to pay the ransom. There three people 55 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: were arrested, though one, an art dealer who the galleries 56 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: chairman had enlisted as a go between, was soon let off. 57 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: The painting was recovered and undamaged. In four men were 58 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: convicted for theft and attempting to sell stolen property. Paul 59 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: and Year, who had been to prison before for stealing 60 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: another moons work, received a sentence of six years and 61 00:03:56,640 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 1: three months in prison, but because the British detect times 62 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: working on the case entered Norway using false identities, which 63 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: was illegal, the convictions of three of the thieves were 64 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: overturned and they were released in nine and Year, who 65 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: remained in prison, escaped when he had a little over 66 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:18,479 Speaker 1: a year left to serve. In early nineteen nine, he 67 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: dipped off during a group visit to a new Oslo airport. 68 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: After two weeks he was found at a rail station 69 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: wearing dark glasses and a wig. The National Gallery improved 70 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 1: a security after the ordeal. In two thousand four, another 71 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,280 Speaker 1: version of The Scream was stolen from the Monk Museum 72 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 1: in Norway. It was recovered two years later, so damaged. 73 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 1: I'm Eves Deathcote and hopefully you know a little more 74 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 1: about history today than you did yesterday. I have one 75 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:52,479 Speaker 1: interesting additional note for you. The past Dale version of 76 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:55,679 Speaker 1: The Scream sold at auction for a hundred and nineteen 77 00:04:55,760 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: point nine million dollars in twelve. We love it if 78 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: you left us a comment on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. 79 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:10,119 Speaker 1: At t d i h C Podcast. Thank you again 80 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: for listening and we'll see you tomorrow. For more podcasts 81 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: from My Heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, 82 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.