Six years ago, a warehouse managed by USC’s historic preservation department was robbed of two lamps and a chair, according to the Los Angeles Times. The furniture had quite the pedigree: Frank Lloyd Wright designed the lamps and Rudolph Schindler the chair. What’s perhaps most intriguing is that there was seemingly no forced entry, indicating that whoever stole the pieces likely had access to the warehouse with a key.
According to the Times, the crime was never reported because it was assumed that the stolen items weren’t valuable. The designs are actually incredibly rare: A similar lamp by Wright recently sold at auction for a reported $100,000, and Schindler’s chairs were estimated to each be worth $25,000. In September, USC launched a new department, the Office of Professionalism and Ethics, which looked at the case. Campus police then filed a report with the LAPD on January 22, 2019.
The pieces were initially a part of the Freeman House, a 1923 home in the Hollywood Hills belonging to Samuel and Harriet Freeman, who had commissioned Wright to design the residence. Wright also designed tall cast-iron lamps for the home. Years later, a student of Wright’s, Rudolph Schindler, continued working on the house, adding various details, including the chairs. The home became famous for its parties and notable guests.
After the Freemans passed away, the property was left to USC with the hope that the school would preserve the architectural gem. The home’s patterned exterior blocks were found to be unsafe for seismic activity, and after a 1994 earthquake that damaged the home, the school planned work to preserve the building. Much of the contents, including the now stolen furniture, were moved into a warehouse owned by the university on 24th Street.
The police department is currently looking into the case through the art-heist department. The length of time that’s passed since the heist could spell trouble, according to an LAPD officer, who noted that much of the staff from that time are no longer at the university. As these valuable items remain at large, we can only hope that more information will come to light.
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