July 29, 1961 - Ten paintings by four masters of modern art were stolen from the Pittsburgh home of G. David Thompson (pictured), a retired millionaire industrialist. Their value was placed at $400,000. Mr. Thompson offered a $100,000 reward for the return of the paintings with "no questions asked." Those stolen included six works of Pablo Picasso, one measuring more than five by four feet; two by Fernand Léger, one by Raoul Dufy and one by Joan Miró. In addition, a hole was punched in an Henri Matisse canvas, a Picasso collage was irreparably mutilated and a Picasso painting called "Portrait of Lady With Hat" was seriously damaged. It seems certain that the burglars were not professional art thieves. Most of the stolen paintings were crudely ripped or cut out of their frames. Knowledgable thieves would have lifted the canvases whole on their wooden stretchers from the backs of the frames.
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