Upcoming Lecture and Book Signing, "The Art of the Con," by Anthony Amore

The Nichols House Museum, located on historic Beacon Hill, is pleased to present a lecture and book signing by Anthony Amore, Director of Security at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The lecture, “The Art of the Con,” will take place on Monday, March 28, 2016, at 5:30 p.m. at the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), 99-101 Newbury Street, Boston. Admission is $15 for Nichols House Museum and NEHGS members, and $20 for non-members. Books will be available to be signed for $20, cash only. Advance paid reservations are essential due to limited seating. Please call the Nichols House Museum at 617.227.6993 for further information, or visit the museum’s website to purchase tickets, www.nicholshousemuseum.org.

In the presentation, Anthony Amore will discuss his new book, The Art of the Con, which tells the stories of some of history's most notorious- yet untold- cons. They involve stolen art hidden for decades; elaborate ruses that involve the Nazis and allegedly plundered art; the theft of a conceptual prototype from a well-known artist by his assistant to be used later to create copies; the use of online and television auction sites to scam buyers out of millions; and other confidence scams incredible not only for their boldness but more so because they actually worked. For some con artists, it's an irresistible urge because their innocent dupes all share something in common: they want to believe.

Anthony Amore is an expert in security matters, especially those related to cultural property and homeland security. Amore has fifteen years of national security, law, intelligence, and crisis management experience with federal government agencies: the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)'s Security Division. Presently, he is Director of Security at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where he is charged with the ongoing efforts to recover thirteen works of art stolen from the museum on March 18, 1990. In 2011, he co-authored the Wall Street Journal true-crime bestseller Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists. In addition, he is a lecturer in homeland security at Fisher College and provides analysis on issues related to security and terrorism for Fox 25 News in Boston.

The Nichols House Museum uses its historic building and collection to tell the story of the progressive Nichols family who lived there. It also offers visitors a unique glimpse of late 19th and early 20th century domestic life on Boston’s Beacon Hill. The museum’s lecture series presents ideas that were of interest to the Nichols family, and that are topical to the collection and architecture of the museum. Located at 55 Mount Vernon Street, the museum is currently open for tours on the hour Thursday through Saturday, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.