Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Construction of Isabella’s museum began in 1899, and was completed in late 1901. She moved into the private fourth-floor living quarters and devoted herself to personally arranging works of art in the historic galleries on the first three floors. In 1901 and 1902, Isabella installed her collection of paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture, manuscripts, rare books, and decorative arts. She continued to acquire works and change the installations for the rest of her life. She died in 1924, leaving a museum “for the education and enjoyment of the public forever.” She provided an endowment to operate the museum, stipulating in her will that nothing in the galleries should be changed, and no items be acquired or sold from the collection. This stipulation was broken once in the early hours of March 18th, 1990. That night, a vehicle pulled up near the side entrance of the Museum. Two men in police uniforms pushed the Museum buzzer, stated they were responding to a disturbance, and requested to be let in. The guard on duty broke protocol and allowed them through the employee entrance. The museum guards were restrained in the basement while the two fake officers managed to pull off the single largest property heist in recorded history. They managed to steal 13 artworks whose whereabouts remain unknown today. In honour of the missing works their empty frames remain hanging, a symbol of the hope they will one day be returned.