The Museum Swap: How a Forger Replaced a Priceless Painting

The Museum Swap: How a Forger Replaced a Priceless Painting A misplaced painting turned up in an alley with its original catalogue number attached, while the museum’s records still showed it locked in a climate‑controlled basement since 2011 - two versions of the same Albert Sund work could not both be real. How did a near‑perfect forgery, made with period‑correct poplar and matching pigments, quietly sit in storage for four years without anyone noticing? In this episode, we trace the chain of events inside the Delliver Institute of Regional Art, from a supply order in Pittsburgh to an after‑hours card swipe, and follow the questions that reveal how access, timing, and institutional gaps made the swap possible. Could a preparator’s knowledge and a forty‑six minute window explain the perfect replacement? Person: Albert Sund Date: November 16, 2019 Location: Foundry Street, Delliver Institute of Regional Art Case: Catalogue number D-0041 Event: After-hours card swipe on March 4, 2015 - The painting "Table, Delliver, Evening" was painted in 1947 on an 18-by-24-inch poplar board. - The Institute moved the painting into climate-controlled basement storage in 2011. - A supply order in January 2015 listed a custom poplar board 18-by-24 inches, 40 millimeters thick. - Steven O'Brien’s access card logged a 46-minute entry into the storage room on March 4, 2015 at 11:17 p.m. - Kelly Morgan last physically inspected D-0041 in 2014 and the work was not scheduled for further inspection afterward. To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].