More than 1,000 priceless historical artifacts were stolen from the Oakland Museum of California in a major theft that occurred just days before the high-profile jewelry heist at the Louvre in Paris captured national headlines. The burglary took place overnight on October 15 at the museum's off-site storage facility in Oakland, with thieves making off with Native American baskets, jewelry, laptops, and other historic artifacts, according to the Oakland Police Department.
Museum Director and CEO Lori Fogarty described the stolen items as having immeasurable cultural value, emphasizing that while they may not shine as brightly as the French crown jewels taken from the iconic Paris gallery, the political pins, military memorabilia, Native baskets, and scrimshaw artifacts represent an irreplaceable piece of California's heritage. "Our mission is to tell the broad story of California in all of its diversity, especially highlighting the story of everyday people, everyday life," Fogarty told KQED. "We think of ourselves as stewards, not as owners, of that kind of cultural heritage."
The theft was discovered when museum staff arrived at the warehouse facility the morning after the break-in. The off-site storage location houses hundreds of thousands of collection items that are not currently on display. "They saw right away that there had been an intrusion and that a significant number of items were stolen," Fogarty explained. The director expressed the profound impact the theft has had on the institution and community, stating, "It feels like an attack on our community and on our cultural heritage, and for our staff who devote their full careers to caring for and preserving our collections, it's truly heartbreaking."
Among the most valuable stolen items are several baskets created by a Northern California Native tribe, a collection of metal and stone jewelry pieces from a California artist, and numerous scrimshaw artifacts. These items are considered most likely to surface at pawn shops or flea markets, according to museum officials. Fogarty particularly emphasized the significance of the Native American baskets, many of which date back to the early 1900s. "We share a sense of responsibility for the public, but also for the Indigenous people of California for stewarding those collections," she said. "For me and for a number of our collection staff, it's the loss of the Native baskets that really hits home the hardest."
The Oakland Museum of California stands as one of the state's most significant cultural institutions, boasting the largest collection of California art history and natural science anywhere in the world. The museum houses more than two million artworks, artifacts, and specimens collected over the past 115 years, according to Fogarty. While the current facility next to Lake Merritt opened in 1969, the institution was born from three predecessor organizations, including the Oakland History Museum, which was founded in 1910.
This recent theft is not the first security breach the museum has experienced. The Oakland Museum suffered a series of break-ins during 2012 and 2013, when thieves targeted gold nuggets and other Gold Rush-era artifacts from the main site. The most high-profile item stolen during that period was a jewelry box made of California gold and adorned with gold-veined quartz, valued at up to $800,000. An Oakland man was sentenced to four years in prison in 2014 for stealing the valuable piece, which was ultimately recovered and returned to the museum.
In the weeks following the October 15 theft, museum staff have been conducting a comprehensive inventory to identify all missing items and working closely with insurance brokers and the city of Oakland, which owns the collection, to determine the monetary value of the stolen pieces. The museum has also implemented additional security measures immediately following the break-in and is collaborating with Oakland Police and city officials to identify ways to strengthen protections for the future.
The investigation into the theft is being conducted jointly by the Oakland Police Department and the FBI's Art Crime Team, highlighting the serious nature of the crime and the federal implications of stealing cultural artifacts. Authorities have asked members of the public to notify them if they encounter any items resembling the stolen goods at local pawn shops, antique stores, or flea markets. Museum Director Fogarty remains hopeful for a positive outcome, stating, "We are very much hoping that we will have a similar outcome here," referring to the successful recovery of the stolen items from the previous theft incidents over a decade ago.
