Missing Paintings Returned to Blue Bell Library

Two paintings that disappeared from the Wissahickon Valley Public Library on Dec. 22 were returned to them, in what library director Anne Frank said was a “mistake, thinking they were free.”

Wendy Liu initially reported the paintings missing on Dec. 29.

Liu, who had displayed some of her pastels and some of her mother’s paintings at the library, said that two of her mother’s works were taken as she was transporting the paintings from the library to her vehicle.

Liu said an eyewitness left the library with her mother’s paintings, and offered a $50 reward and said that the paintings could be returned to library anonymously, with no questions asked.

The Wissahickon Valley Public Library website explains that a patron took the paintings by mistake, and returned them with her apologies.

"Wendy Liu wrote a blog about her painting being taken from the library.  Guess what?  They were returned,” said Frank. “A patron took them by mistake thinking that they were free.  Wendy has them back and we have a nice ending."