For 50 years, Douglas Latchford (Fig. 1) was the world’s premier expert on Cambodian art, supplying priceless statues to Western museums and rich collectors. But his fame masked a dirty secret. Douglas had colluded with the Khmer Rouge (Fig. 2), a genocidal regime, to loot Cambodia’s entire cultural heritage.
As the country descended into bloodshed, Douglas stole almost everything.
A network of art world cronies were on hand to help him sell these blood statues (Fig. 3), including a senior curator at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. When a band of art sleuths get on their case, Douglas and his co-conspirators mount a rearguard action to save themselves.
Unlike the Elgin Marbles, and other brewing controversies over stolen art, our story isn’t ancient history.
Emma faces up to what she’s done, as Douglas, finally, is brought down, and Cambodia begins the gargantuan task of bringing its art back home. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Museum fights a rearguard action to cling on to its collection…a struggle that’s still raging.
© 2023 Dynamite Doug Podcast by Project Brazen & PRX.
