Harold Smith

Harold Smith (1926 – February 19, 2005) was a noted investigator and detective. Smith represented Lloyd's of London and many other insurance companies for over 50 years, specializing in fine-art and jewelry theft. He also was a security consultant for leading jewelers, museums and art galleries in the United States and overseas, including Sotheby's, Christie's, the Smithsonian, and the Getty Museum. Among his cases were the largest gold robbery in the history of the United States and the master theft of 13 paintings from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990, which included a remarkable Vermeer, "The Concert." Smith, who had an unusual appearance in latter years – an eyepatch and rubber nose as a result of skin cancer – was featured in the 2005 documentary film Stolen. The film was dedicated to Smith's memory. Ulrich Boser's 2009 book, The Gardner Heist, gives an in-depth recounting of the many leads Smith followed in his investigation of the stolen paintings. In passing, it also provides biographical details about Harold Smith himself.