A donation of 500 guitars to the Metropolitan Museum of Art this previous Might was perceived as a selected thrilling addition to the gathering—so thrilling, in actual fact, that the donation even introduced through a long-form profile within the New Yorker. However that donation could embrace one object which will have made it into the donation by sick means.
In a New York Publish story revealed this weekend, a supervisor for former Rolling Stones musician Mick Taylor claimed that the Met was now in possession of his stolen Les Paul guitar. That guitar was taken from the Rolling Stones’s French villa, in Nellcôte, in 1971, the yr when thieves reportedly absconded with 9 of Keith Richards’ guitars, amongst different devices.
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The five hundred guitars got to the Met by collector Dirk Ziff. On the time, Met director Max Hollein stated the guitars composed “a trailblazing and transformative reward, positioning the Museum to be the epicenter for the appreciation and research of the American guitar.”
In 2027, the museum plans to open a everlasting gallery about American guitars, with some works from the reward on view right here.
It isn’t clear how from the Publish story Taylor found that his guitar was held by the Met. The guitars usually are not at present on view, and an entire guidelines of them has not been launched to the general public. The Met’s launch did point out Keith Richards, one other Rolling Stones member, however the museum stated it had a 1959 Les Paul performed by him in 1964. Taylor was not talked about in that announcement.
However Taylor’s supervisor, Marlies Damming, claimed that the Met did have Taylor’s guitar. “There are quite a few photographs of Mick Taylor taking part in this Les Paul, because it was his principal guitar till it disappeared,” Demming advised the Publish. “The fascinating factor about these classic Les Pauls (from the late Nineteen Fifties), is that they’re famend for his or her flaming . . . which is exclusive, like a fingerprint.”
The report additionally cited an unnamed supply, who stated, “Taylor says he by no means acquired compensation for the theft and is mystified as to how his property discovered its means into the Met’s assortment.”
A Met spokesperson didn’t reply to request for remark.
