Afternoon Lectures: Art Thefts & the Gilded Age
Stolen masterpieces and the American collectors who brought European art across the Atlantic. Two lectures, free to members.
Museum Art Thefts
by: Roberta Pawlak
Masterpieces are never entirely safe from those who covet them. From the Mona Lisa’s disappearance from the Louvre in 1911 to the 2025 theft at Dresden’s Royal Palace, the art world has been greatly impacted by these high‑stakes crimes. In this presentation, Roberta Pawlak tells the fascinating stories behind some of the world's most famous art thefts and the worldwide efforts to recover the missing masterpieces. Roberta reveals how these events reshaped museum security, altered the art market, and continue to fascinate investigators and collectors alike.
Starting in the Gilded Age: The Journey of European Art to America
By: Dorothy Mikuska
The extraordinary wealth of the Gilded Age ignited a feverish quest by America’s titan’s of industry for some of the world’s greatest paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts. Dorothy Mikuska will trace the journeys of European masterpieces to America and share how these works of art were acquired, transported, and ultimately entrusted to American museums, universities, and public institutions. Dorothy has uncovered the stories behind these acquisitions and the powerful personalities who made them possible.
Join us for a captivating look at how Europe’s masterpieces crossed oceans, entered America’s grand halls, and became part of our cultural legacy.
Free to members. Guests pay $10 cash or check at the door.
Doors open 12:30pm
Lectures: 1:00–3:00pm
Refreshments Served
No registration required — just come.
GETTING THERE
Location: Glendale Lakes Golf Club, 1550 President St., Glendale Heights, IL
From the south (Glen Ellyn)
From Geneva Road, turn north on Bloomingdale Road
Turn left on E. Fullerton Avenue
Turn left onto President Street
Pass Glendale Heights Public Library on your left
Glendale Lakes Golf Club is on the right
From the west (Wheaton)
Go north on Main Street, which becomes Schmale Road
Turn right on E. Fullerton Avenue
Turn right on President Street
Glendale Lakes Golf Club is on the right
From all points east
Go west on North Avenue to President Street (2.8 miles west of I-355)
Turn north on President Street for 0.8 miles
Glendale Lakes Golf Club is on the left