That’s a shame. The current generation of museum people didn’t do the theft and they’ve been preserving them. Returning the artifacts would be wonderful. It might also set the stage for loaning artifacts more confidently so people in various parts of the world can see them.

I love artifacts. I collect historic space flight artifacts. I plan to donate my collection so others can see them and historians will have access to them. Preservation and sharing is the key. People everywhere love good stories and artifacts always “tell” stories—in the hands of good exhibit designers.

I wish museums everywhere had a code of conduct and a tradition that mirrored, for example, how sailors at sea help each other even if they are normally rivals. There should be a cooperative attitude among museums—they all share a love of history and art. A little mutual respect would go a long way.