Since this is still being talked about, I'll mention that we have gotten two such "offers" from these folks in the past few months. We let the first one lie, but replied with a "thanks, but none of the items fall within our collection focus" the second time. We knew it was either a scam or--an outside possibility--someone with a very naïve understanding of how these things are done. We haven't heard any more, and it's interesting to see our suspicions confirmed. Regards, and don't take any wooden nickels, Ed Frank U of Memphis Libraries -----Original Message----- From: Archives & Archivists [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jared Ash Sent: Tuesday, September 05, 2006 1:44 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Advise on donation of books and art collection Following are just two of many emails that were exchanged last month on the Slavic Librarians listserv (SLAVLIBS): From: "Ksenya Kiebuzinski" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 9:55 AM Subject: Re: [SLAVLIBS] donated art and rare books > Hi, > > The University of Toronto also received a donation offer from Russia for 4 > to 5 rare books and also art work. The offer came to our Judaica > specialist who then inquired with me whether it was legitimate or not. He > apparently had been exchanging e-mails with them and their law firm for > some weeks or even months and was optimistic that it was a genuine offer. > Everything seemed set to go when they too asked for a small deposit to > help with customs and postage with the same promise of partial > reimbursement. When I heard that other libraries were receiving the same > offers, I advised my colleague to drop the matter or to make our own > arrangements with a courier. > > I'd be interested in hearing from others too. > > Thanks, > Ksenya > > Janet Irene Crayne wrote: > >> A while back I asked our membership if anyone had received a donation >> offer from Russia. Several people replied to me, and this is a >> follow-up. The items listed and shown in an attached PDF look genuine, >> but the same offers have gone out to at least five of us. I continued my >> correspondence with the donors, and they are now asking for a specific >> amount of money as a "guarantee"-- a large percentage of which would be >> refunded to the recipient library on arrival of the donated items. Since >> at least 2 of us have received the same message, and were not informed of >> the other's existence, I assume that this is not a legitimate offer. >> >> >> Janet I. Crayne, Head >> Slavic and East European Division >> 110F Hatcher Graduate Library North >> University of Michigan Library >> Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1205 >> (734) 936-2348 (phone) >> (734) 763-6743 (fax) >> [log in to unmask] >> > -- > Ksenya Kiebuzinski, Ph.D. > Slavic Resources Coordinator, and > Head, Petro Jacyk Central and East European Resource Centre > > Robarts Library > 130 St. George Street > Toronto Ontario > Canada M5S 1A5 > Tel. (PJRC) 416-978-1288 > Tel. (Col. Dev.) 416-978-4826 > Fax: (416) 971-2636 > [log in to unmask] --------------- Jared Ash 831 Grandview Ave , Westfield, NJ 07090 tel / fax (908) 233-4914 [log in to unmask] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jennifer Dorner" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, September 01, 2006 3:37 PM Subject: Fw: Advise on donation of books and art collection >I have a vague recollection of seeing this discussed on the Archives list, >but cannot find a message in a search of the Archives list archives at >http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A0=ARCHIVES. Was this message >discussed by anyone. I ask, because a similar message from "Katherine" >showed up on the ha-Safran list in June and the listserv poster didn't know >what to make of it, but got no definitive answer. I ask because my Library >Administration is expressing interest, but I think it is a hoax, but can't >prove it. > > Jennifer > > Jennifer Dorner > Humanities & Social Sciences Librarian > Millar Library > Portland State University > P.O. Box 1151 > Portland, OR 97207-1151 > > Phone: 503-725-4125 > Fax: 503-725-4524 > Email: [log in to unmask] > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Kanatov, Mizandali and Ushakova Law firm Moscow office > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Friday, September 01, 2006 4:49 AM > Subject: Statement regarding the donation of books and art collection > > "Kanatov, Mizandali and Ushakova" Law firm Universitetskii pr. 34, Moscow, > 172406 Russia > 455.4522 12 lines phone > 455.3091 fax line > license number 8173 > established 1992 > > Dear Sirs, > > Appr. 5 weeks ago, our client Katherine Pavlova has contacted you with the > suggestion to donate the collection of books and art. > > Her email service is not good, and she is afraid that the email could not > reach you. > > Unfortunately, she does not still have a success with it. She has asked us > to contact you with this offer. We have better abilities to organize the > procedure through our partners. > > I would like to confirm that the donation collection is following: > > 1. The antique book, dated 1524, by one Rabbi Samuel of Morocco > > 2. The first catholic Bible, printed in the USA in 1790 > > 3. Bible Hebraica, 1573, Antwerp, Cristopher Plantin, first edition, > Hamishan Humshei Torah > > 4. Works of William Shakespeare, London: Printed for H. Herringman, E. > Brewster, and R. Bentley, 1685 > > 5. 1759 large manuscript hymnal bible, 284 manuscript pages > > 6. 1611 First Edition, King James Pulpit Holy Bible > > 7. 1933 First Russian edition of V. Nabokov "Kamera Obskura" > > Paintings collections: > > De Beul, Franz The shepherd Canvas, oil, 65 cm x 81 cm nearby 1900 > > Boom, Charles Tea drinking Oil, cardboard. 32x40 cm. 1890. > > Denonne, Alexandre At coast. Canvas, oil, 100 cm x 70 cm, nearby 1925 > > Hans Frahm Street cafe. Canvas, oil. 22X40. Munchen. ". Germany, beginning > XX century > > Frey, Alice Clowns. Canvas, oil, 118 cm x 68 cm 1930 > > Heem de Cornelis Flower garland. Canvas, oil. 71X87 cm. Flemish school of > painting. 1690 On the right below the signature and date: " C. DE HEEM > 1690 > ". > > Moore, Edward Augustus Tree, oil. 25X20 cm. second half XIX century at the > left below the signature: "Edward Moore ". > > Ajvazovskij I.K. Meeting on sea Canvas, oil. 33,8X42,5 cm > > Buchkuri Alexander Alekseevich Krestianka. Canvas, oil. 74X54,5. cm > > Voroshilov Sergey Semenovich Hunting with fleet. Canvas on a cardboard, > oil. > 21X29 cm > > Vladimirov Ivan Alekseevich In the street Petrograd. 1918. A canvas, oil. > 42X62,5 cm > > Polenov Vasily Dmitrievich 1881-1882. Temple of god Honsa in Karnak Canvas > on a cardboard, oil. 37X23,5 cm > > Original lithograph, numbered and signed "The Circus - Mourlot I" Marc > Chagall > > The original signed screenprint part of the Cowboy and Indians Suite, > 1986, > by Andy Warhol > > Original signed lithograph by Edvard Munch, "Das Weib und der Bar" > > Edmund John Niemann (1813-1876) River landscape with rocky outcrop Oil on > canvas, Signed 50.5cm x 75.5cm > > Sir J. Calnworth Lawkey Pencil and watercolour Bears 52cm x 72.5cm > > Walter Boodle "Forest river" oil on canvas, signed, 59.5*90 cm > > Other antiques: > > Icon of the Elevation of the Cross of the Lord > 27 x 31,5 cm > Moscow assay marks for 1908-1917 and master's initials 'AE' > 84 silver standard > > The gold military chronograph by Pavel Bure with gold bracelet, 1910s the > case marked with Swiss 583 standard (14K), master's initials 'A.B'. > Diameter > 4,8 cm. > Total weight (with bracelet) 106 g. > > The Pavel Bure 14K gold wrist watch, appr. 1915 Swiss 583 gold standard > Diameter 3,8 cm. > > Imperial Presentation Hunter Cased Rose Gold Pocket Watch by Pavel Bure, > appr. 1900 diameter 48 mm, > > Coronation menu of the dinner > Moscow Kremlin on May 15, 1896 > 25,1 x 35 cm > > The portraits of Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Fedorovna 1896, > chromolithographs laid on cardboard > 34,5 x 47,7 cm > > The cabinet photograph of empress Alexandra Feodorovna, appr. 1896, by > J.Thomson of London, 10,8 x 16,6 cm > > Carte de visite photograph of czarevich Nicholas (later czar Nicholas > II) and his future wife princess Alix of Hesse, appr. 1894. > St. Petersburg photographer Vesenberg. > 6,2 x 10,3 cm > > Cabinet photograph of czar Nicholas II > by St. Petersburg photographer A.Pasetti, appr. 1894 > > Faberge silver teapot > St. Petersburg, appr. 1890 > workmaster's initials 'I.P.' > Height 16 cm. Weight 780 g. > > Imperial Presentation Porcelain Easter Egg, by the Imperial Porcelain > Factory, 'MF' of Empress Maria Feodorovna (mother of Nicholas II) Height > 10,7 cm. > > Miniature portrait on glass of czar Alexander II, appr. 1870 > > Cabinet photograph of artist Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky by Kharkof > photographer Alfred Fedecki, 1898, 13,3 x 21,4 cm, signed and inscribed by > Aivazovskii > > The donation procedure takes 7 - 9 days to be finished. > My client Katherine Pavlova was not able to pay a full attention to all > paperwork, but we will be glad to do everything on her behalf. > > We do hope that you might be interested in these pieces of history and we > will be glad to assist you in receiving them. > > Faithfully yours, > > Ivan Mizandali > senior partner of > "Kanatov, Mizandali and Ushakova" Law firm > > A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by the > Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org. > For the terms of participation, please refer to > http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp. > > To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] > In body of message: SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname > *or*: UNSUB ARCHIVES > To post a message, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] > > Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html > > Problems? Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]> > A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org. For the terms of participation, please refer to http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] In body of message: SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname *or*: UNSUB ARCHIVES To post a message, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html Problems? Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]> A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org. For the terms of participation, please refer to http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp. 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