Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing
  • Login
  • GDPR
  • Create a Free Account
Return to PRWeb homepage
  • News
  • Resources
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All News Releases
      • Multimedia Gallery

      • All Multimedia
      • All Photos
      • All Videos
  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • Aerospace, Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads and Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking and Road Transportation
      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalization
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls and Research
      • Trade Show News
      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil and Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • Carriers and Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines and Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics and Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture and Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewelry
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • Amusement Parks and Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels and Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • Advocacy Group Opinion
      • Animal Welfare
      • Congressional & Presidential Campaigns
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Domestic Policy
      • Economic News, Trends, Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • FDA Approval
      • Federal and State Legislation
      • Federal Executive Branch & Agency
      • Foreign Policy & International Affairs
      • Homeland Security
      • Labor & Union
      • Legal Issues
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Patent Law
      • Public Safety
      • Trade Policy
      • U.S. State Policy
      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • View All People & Culture

  • Hamburger menu
  • Cision PRWeb provides efficient communication tools to continuously engage with target audiences across multiple online channels
  • Create a Free Account
    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us


      11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday

  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • News in Focus
    • Browse All News
    • Multimedia Gallery
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR

$10,000 Reward Offered for Information Leading to the Recovery of Long-Lost L.A. Central Library Sculpture "Well of the Scribes"

Alta Magazine and Los Angeles Public Library Seek Public's Help in Solving 50-Year Old Mystery


News provided by

ALTA Magazine

Feb 05, 2020, 11:00 ET

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX

Alta Magazine
Alta Magazine

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered to anyone with information leading to the recovery of sections of the long-lost sculpture, "Well of the Scribes," which disappeared from the Los Angeles Public Library's Central Library 50 years ago. The 1926 bronze fountain went missing from the Central Library in the 1960s when the West Lawn was razed for a parking lot. The sculpture's fate was unknown until last year, when a section was discovered in Arizona. Alta magazine and its publisher William R. Hearst III, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Public Library, today announced a reward for information leading to the return of the Well's other three pieces. Anyone with information should contact Alta magazine at [email protected].

The mystery of the missing sculpture first captured the imagination of Susan Orlean, who wrote about it in her 2018 bestseller, The Library Book. Prompted by the book, Alta managing editor Blaise Zerega assigned journalist Brandon Reynolds to chronicle the Well's disappearance and theories about its fate. When the article was published in July 2019, the sculpture was still nowhere to be found.

Alta magazine, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Public Library, is asking for the public’s help and offering a reward of up to $10,000 to anyone who provides information leading to the recovery of one or more of the missing pieces.

Post this

Meanwhile, an antiques dealer, Floyd Lillard, in Bisbee, AZ, knew for years that he had acquired something special. Lillard would conduct a Google search every now and again to help him identify the object in his possession. Shortly after the Alta magazine article was published, Lillard's Google search yielded the image he had been waiting a decade for, and he immediately recognized it. He had a section of the Well of the Scribes.

Lillard contacted Alta magazine and Los Angeles City Librarian John F. Szabo with the news that he had one of four pieces of the sculpture. Szabo traveled to Bisbee, met Lillard, and verified it as a portion of the Well of the Scribes. On October 4, 2019, the section of the bronze was returned to its rightful home, and unveiled at a press conference at the Central Library.

The search for the rest of the Well intensified. Alta magazine hired a private investigator, who tracked down several promising leads. Although these efforts did not lead to the missing sections, the investigation remains ongoing.

Not to be deterred, Alta magazine, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Public Library, is asking for the public's help and offering a reward of up to $10,000 to anyone who provides information leading to the recovery of one or more of the missing pieces.

TO KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST ON THE SEARCH AND FOR COMPLETE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE REWARD, PLEASE VISIT: altaonline.com/well

The Well of the Scribes was designed by artist Lee Lawrie, the artist responsible for the many sculptural embellishments adorning the historic Central Library building and its grounds. The semi-circular bronze sculpture formed a basin that greeted visitors at the entrance to the gardens, which faced the library. Rendered in a subtly detailed relief, the sculpture's design featured three sections: a Pegasus, symbolizing inspiration, flanked on each side by a procession of elegantly detailed figures representing scribes from eastern and western cultures, and a spout located above the pool. The basin graced the gardens from the library's opening in 1926 until 1969 when the gardens were paved over and the sculpture disappeared.

LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY
A recipient of the nation's highest honor for library service—the National Medal from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Los Angeles Public Library serves the largest and most diverse urban population of any library in the nation. Its Central Library, 72 branch libraries, collection of more than 6 million books, state-of the-art technology accessible at http://www.lapl.org, and more than 25,000 public programs a year provide everyone with free and easy access to information and the opportunity for lifelong learning.

ALTA
Based in San Francisco and founded by William R. Hearst III, Journal of Alta California is a quarterly magazine devoted to California and the West. Big trends start in California; Alta identifies them and offers smart, witty, and literary coverage of the people, history, and ideas behind them through its print publication, website, podcasts, newsletters, and event series. Alta treasures great journalism, great storytelling and beautiful images. For more information, go to altaonline.com.

CONTACT FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCULPTURE & REWARD:
[email protected]

SOCIAL TAGS
#findthescribes
#altatips

PRESS CONTACTS:
Peter Persic, Los Angeles Public Library, (213) 228-7555, [email protected]
Amy Bonetti, Alta, (415) 407-9008, [email protected]
Laura B. Cohen, LC Media, (310) 867-3897, [email protected]

SOURCE ALTA Magazine

Related Links

http://altaonline.com/well

Modal title

Mary Melton/Alta John Szabo LAPL Unveiling
Mary Melton/Alta John Szabo LAPL Unveiling
Mary Melton/Alta John Szabo LAPL Unveiling

Contact PRWeb

  • 11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday
  • Contact Us

About PRWeb

  • About PRWeb
  • Partners
  • Partnership Programs
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Resources

Why PRWeb

  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing

Accounts

  • Create a Free Account
  • Log in
  • Contact Us

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via [email protected] 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact Cision

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Online Member Center
  • ProfNet
Cision Distribution Helpline
888-776-0942
  • Legal
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2025 Cision US Inc.