Erin L. Thompson
@artcrimeprof.bsky.social
Art crime prof at CUNY (but opinions here are mine alone). Follow me for how-to tips on art forgery (book forthcoming from Norton), repatriation, monuments, and general museum shenanigans. She/her; queer.
www.artcrimeprof.com
www.artcrimeprof.com
They’re apparently selling freshly cut lumberjacks on the streets of NYC now
December 8, 2025 at 4:01 PM
They’re apparently selling freshly cut lumberjacks on the streets of NYC now
Strange silhouettes at the Whitney today.
December 8, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Strange silhouettes at the Whitney today.
What’s Latin for “keeping the receipts”?
And yet…not all writing endures. In this painting from c1490, we see a man taking down notes on a wax tablet. You can see the metal stylus he uses has a “rake” at one end for erasing once he needs to re-use the wax.
December 8, 2025 at 1:10 AM
What’s Latin for “keeping the receipts”?
Reposted by Erin L. Thompson
It's that time of year--now accepting nominations for the Gene Stuart Award, given by the SAA "to the author of the most interesting and responsible original story or series about about any archaeological topic published in a newspaper, magazine, or online publication." 🏺 www.saa.org/career-pract...
Gene S. Stuart Award
www.saa.org
December 7, 2025 at 11:32 PM
It's that time of year--now accepting nominations for the Gene Stuart Award, given by the SAA "to the author of the most interesting and responsible original story or series about about any archaeological topic published in a newspaper, magazine, or online publication." 🏺 www.saa.org/career-pract...
scene - buying beer at the grocery store
Clerk: ID, please.
Me: ~hands over my driver's license~
Clerk (nonplussed): Um, I was just joking, ma'am.
end scene
Clerk: ID, please.
Me: ~hands over my driver's license~
Clerk (nonplussed): Um, I was just joking, ma'am.
end scene
December 6, 2025 at 8:33 PM
scene - buying beer at the grocery store
Clerk: ID, please.
Me: ~hands over my driver's license~
Clerk (nonplussed): Um, I was just joking, ma'am.
end scene
Clerk: ID, please.
Me: ~hands over my driver's license~
Clerk (nonplussed): Um, I was just joking, ma'am.
end scene
Just watched and honestly I'm a little mad at everyone for not having told me about this movie before
“The Grifters,” one of the most uncompromisingly bleak neo-noirs to come out of the late 80's boom, was released on this day in 1990: crookedmarquee.com/in-the-grift...
In The Grifters, No One’s the Wiser — Crooked Marquee
One of the most uncompromisingly bleak neo-noirs to come out of the late 80's boom makes its well-deserved Criterion Collection debut this month.
crookedmarquee.com
December 6, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Just watched and honestly I'm a little mad at everyone for not having told me about this movie before
The Met’s “Divine Egypt” show is spectacular, but instead of calling the section with these representations of Horus “Expressing the Divine,” they really should have just gone with “Angry Birds”
December 5, 2025 at 7:11 PM
The Met’s “Divine Egypt” show is spectacular, but instead of calling the section with these representations of Horus “Expressing the Divine,” they really should have just gone with “Angry Birds”
The Met’s “Divine Egypt” show is spectacular, but instead of calling the section with these representations of Horus “Expressing the Divine,” they really should have just gone with “Angry Birds”
December 5, 2025 at 7:10 PM
The Met’s “Divine Egypt” show is spectacular, but instead of calling the section with these representations of Horus “Expressing the Divine,” they really should have just gone with “Angry Birds”
My 10-year-old's teacher was a bit concerned at the parent conference today about how he'll spend a long time muttering to himself things like "why can't I get this?!!" while looking for the "perfect" piece of evidence from a text to include in his draft. Had to tell her that...
December 4, 2025 at 8:46 PM
My 10-year-old's teacher was a bit concerned at the parent conference today about how he'll spend a long time muttering to himself things like "why can't I get this?!!" while looking for the "perfect" piece of evidence from a text to include in his draft. Had to tell her that...
Reposted by Erin L. Thompson
A beautiful hairpin that belonged to Prince Alemayehu's mother - Empress Tiruwork - is going back to Ethiopia c. 160 years after it was taken by the British military doctor who treated her last illness. Congrats to all involved @alulapankhurst.bsky.social royalethiopiantrust.org/the-return-o...
December 4, 2025 at 5:43 PM
A beautiful hairpin that belonged to Prince Alemayehu's mother - Empress Tiruwork - is going back to Ethiopia c. 160 years after it was taken by the British military doctor who treated her last illness. Congrats to all involved @alulapankhurst.bsky.social royalethiopiantrust.org/the-return-o...
Tag yourself. I'm "making noises with feet."
Thinking of the student Mary Young who 106 years ago today 'said "shan't" under [her] breath when told to repeat poor work'.
December 4, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Tag yourself. I'm "making noises with feet."
December 3, 2025 at 7:11 PM
This is how your email finds me
New issue of Bulletin of the American Society of Overseas Research Vol 394 (2025) www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/basr/202... @asor-research.bsky.social @chicagojournals.bsky.social @karalarson.bsky.social
@petramcreamer.bsky.social @pudukhepa.bsky.social
@petramcreamer.bsky.social @pudukhepa.bsky.social
December 2, 2025 at 8:07 PM
This is how your email finds me
It's only now, nearly a year later, that I want to think about how close the Palisades Fire got to the Getty Villa. Close enough to fill the reflecting pool in the courtyard with black ash...
December 1, 2025 at 6:57 PM
It's only now, nearly a year later, that I want to think about how close the Palisades Fire got to the Getty Villa. Close enough to fill the reflecting pool in the courtyard with black ash...
Kid review of shabu shabu: "If Link ate this in Legend of Zelda he would get full recovery plus 10 hearts and a defense up!"
November 30, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Kid review of shabu shabu: "If Link ate this in Legend of Zelda he would get full recovery plus 10 hearts and a defense up!"
The bots are getting better at profile text but not so much at the other stuff…
November 30, 2025 at 12:29 PM
The bots are getting better at profile text but not so much at the other stuff…
Hahaha dedication fail
November 30, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Hahaha dedication fail
Bless the youth librarians who ask your kid like two questions, peer deep into their soul, and hand them a pile of books they will love.
(Also no I don’t know why he reads like this)
(Also no I don’t know why he reads like this)
November 29, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Bless the youth librarians who ask your kid like two questions, peer deep into their soul, and hand them a pile of books they will love.
(Also no I don’t know why he reads like this)
(Also no I don’t know why he reads like this)
@profanity.accountant ok now I'm curious
November 29, 2025 at 4:32 PM
@profanity.accountant ok now I'm curious
Seriously temped to scrap my plans for the final exam for my art and crime class and instead give the students this Playmobil museum heist set and ask them what they got right and wrong...
(h/t @karenho.bsky.social, who always sends me the best stuff!)
(h/t @karenho.bsky.social, who always sends me the best stuff!)
November 27, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Seriously temped to scrap my plans for the final exam for my art and crime class and instead give the students this Playmobil museum heist set and ask them what they got right and wrong...
(h/t @karenho.bsky.social, who always sends me the best stuff!)
(h/t @karenho.bsky.social, who always sends me the best stuff!)
Reposted by Erin L. Thompson
‘By his own estimate, Jonathan Tokeley-Parry smuggled three thousand antiquities out of Egypt in 65 trips over six years. His success was down to his skill as a “fabricator”.’
Erin L. Thompson (@artcrimeprof.bsky.social) on the blog:
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/no...
Erin L. Thompson (@artcrimeprof.bsky.social) on the blog:
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/no...
Erin L. Thompson | Fake it till you make it
Jonathan Tokeley-Parry, who died last month, had a business card in the early 1990s that described him as ‘Jonty “...
www.lrb.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 12:50 PM
‘By his own estimate, Jonathan Tokeley-Parry smuggled three thousand antiquities out of Egypt in 65 trips over six years. His success was down to his skill as a “fabricator”.’
Erin L. Thompson (@artcrimeprof.bsky.social) on the blog:
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/no...
Erin L. Thompson (@artcrimeprof.bsky.social) on the blog:
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/no...
Not to brag, but all of the lifelong learners auditing my art and crime lecture this semester have now asked what I'm teaching next semester and expressed disappointment that it's the same course... 💅
November 26, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Not to brag, but all of the lifelong learners auditing my art and crime lecture this semester have now asked what I'm teaching next semester and expressed disappointment that it's the same course... 💅
A small good thing from social media - I visited a church museum and posted photos of a cool thing and then heard from a scholar who said my photos were the best he could find of said cool thing and could he use one for his article? And now it’s out!
November 26, 2025 at 1:57 PM
A small good thing from social media - I visited a church museum and posted photos of a cool thing and then heard from a scholar who said my photos were the best he could find of said cool thing and could he use one for his article? And now it’s out!