Still life print depicting a blooming Cape Primrose, a plant related to the African violet, illuminated by sunlight. Framed in an intricately carved wooden frame featuring foliate motifs.
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.
Height: 28 1/4 in x width: 34 1/4 in x depth: 1 1/2 in
Condition: No visible tears, losses, or signs of repair. Floated in frame under an acidic mat. Framed under glass. Light wear to the frame. Some soiling to the verso. Not inspected out of frame.
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