When he was apprehended, Bland appeared obviously humiliated and apologetic, and the directors and security staff of the library let him go with a stern warning and a fine. Later, after putting an alert on an Internet library listserv for other rare book depositories, it was discovered that the well-dressed and scholarly looking man had also visited other libraries throughout the United States and, not even bothering to use an alias, on inspection was found to have stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of valuable maps. Harvey s sleuthing uncovers the fact that Bland, whose cross-country slash and dash operation had gone on for many years, was an enigmatic antiques dealer from South Florida. Although rare-map collectors had been purchasing maps from him on a regular basis, they hadn t bothered to check his credentials or the provenance of the maps. Calling him the Al Capone of Cartography, Harvey relates the story from the perspective of a detective fascinated with the world of contemporary arts theft, rare-map collecting and the history of cartography.
Maps are big-time booty.
Mapmaking has been going on since at least the Stone Age, and larceny has remained a big factor throughout the history of cartography. Nautical writings and charts were often considered state secrets and to copy or divulge their contents was a capital crime. It is said, says Harvey, that Christopher Columbus brother, Bartholomeo, stole top-secret information gleaned by Portuguese explorers, especially large world maps. Some of the greatest explorers were also map thieves. Pirates raided for booty, yes, but more valuable to them were maps.