Style of Martin Johnson Heade (American, 1819-1904). Group of two oil on canvas paintings depicting vibrant hummingbirds in tropical settings. Each signed illegibly along the lower left.
Provenance: From the estate of Jerry Hal Saliterman (1947-2025), the career criminal identified by federal authorities as the mastermind behind the Ruby Slippers Heist, the famous prop from The Wizard of Oz.
In August 2005, Terry Jon Martin used a hammer to smash the display case at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, MN. Saliterman was a second-generation fence who took possession of the slippers immediately after the heist. The slippers would stay hidden with Saliterman for the next 13 years until recovered in a 2018 FBI sting. These items come from a deaccession of evidence pertaining to his criminal case. A fixture of the Minnesota underworld for decades, this collection offers a rare look into the life of the man who successfully eluded the FBI for nearly two decades, managing a sophisticated retail theft ring while keeping one of the world’s most famous treasures tucked away in a grocery bag. These iconic shoes sold for $28 million after being recovered from Saliterman’s possession.
(Each) Height: 19 in x width: 10 3/4 in x depth: 2 in.
Condition: No visible tears, losses, or signs of repair. To the painting with two hummingbirds, there is a slight unevenness to the canvas. Light wear to the frames. Not inspected out of frame.
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