The Trafficker Who Furnished the Museums of LA

In 1940, Teresa Wright, an Academy Award-winning actress, was photographed alongside a Chacmool sculpture by Man Ray. The ancient Mesoamerican artifact, with its head turned towards onlookers, represented modernity for Hollywood stars and collectors of pre-colonial art. In 1947, the Minneapolis Institute of Art acquired a "King Chak Mool" sculpture for $10,000, which later toured Europe in 1958-1960, becoming a significant part of the museum's collection. However, a decade later, it was revealed that the sculpture was a forgery.

The book "Artifacts to Art: Collecting Ancient America in Midcentury L.A." (2026) by Andrew D. Turner, Mary E. Miller, and Khristaan D. Villela delves into the transformation of "pre-Hispanic" artifacts from study pieces to collectible art objects. The work sheds light on why Los Angeles museums, such as those housing the Stendahl Art Galleries' archive, have amassed such substantial collections of ancient Central and South American cultural heritage.

The Stendahl Art Galleries, as chronicled by the authors, played a pivotal role in the illegal looting, smuggling, and sale of these objects to Los Angeles collectors. An in-depth investigation of this illicit activity is presented in the book, utilizing the Galleries' archive now held at the Getty Research Institute. The authors explore the multifaceted factors contributing to the market for these objects, including prominent international museums, Hollywood celebrities, and looters operating in Mexico.

Earl Stendahl, the gallerist at the heart of the story, operated his workshop on Hillside Avenue, Los Angeles, leaving a lasting impact on the city's museum collections.