PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Artifacts stolen from six museums nearly 50 years ago have been returned to their rightful owners.
Fifteen objects, mostly 18th- and 19th-century revolvers, were assembled on a table at the Museum of the American Revolution on Friday. The artifacts were recovered through the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Art Crime Team, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Upper Merion Township Police Department.
The private collectors in possession of these objects didn't know they were stolen, according to Special Agent Jake Archer.
"They have no idea what they were buying was stolen, and so that is why we are very thankful that they were able to work with the United States government in order to waive ownership so that we could repatriate these items today to their respected museums," he said.
Four pistols were returned to the Museum of the American Revolution. The guns were stolen 50 years ago from the museum's predecessor organization, the Valley Forge Historical Society.
"It's a great opportunity to shed light on these museums, on this whole issue of objects that have been stolen, and the great worked at the FBI's art crimes division does to recover these objects," said Dr. Scott Stephenson, president and CEO of the Museum of the American Revolution.
Pistols repatriated to the Museum of the American Revolution.Museum of the American Revolution
The other five museums that received repatriated items include the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia, the Hershey Story Museum in Hershey, the Landis Valley Museum in Lancaster, the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, and the York County History Center in York.
A pistol with a bayonet was repatriated to the Mercer Museum.Museum of the American Revolution
A revolver repatriated to the American Swedish History Museum.Museum of the American Revolution
