Barry Landau, Presidential Historian, Charged With Stealing Lots of Presidential Artifacts

barryhlandau.com

Barry Landau, the allegedly sticky-fingered collector.

Until today, Barry Landau was probably best known as a media-friendly expert on all of the most trivial aspects of the American presidency. From presidential dogs to presidential food to pictures of himself with presidents, Landau has been all over it. Landau has also made a name for himself as a great collector of presidential knickknacks.

Where does Landau come by all his presidential collectibles?

Ah, well, here's the problem: Today comes news that the New-York-based collector and an accomplice, Jason Savedoff, are under arrest for smuggling some 60 rare historical documents out of the Maryland Historical Society.

As recently as July 4, Landau was interviewed by CNN bragging about his enormous collection of presidential artifacts and his belief that Americans don't pay enough respect to the flag.

Now Landau and Savedoff are in jail and facing an FBI investigation over the theft of Abraham Lincoln's papers, inaugural ball invitations, and other one-of-a-kind historical documents worth millions of dollars.