Buzz
At some point, everyone experiences the loss of a cherished item, whether due to distraction, theft, or unexpected events. The pain of losing something valuable—be it sentimental or material—can be profound, but the joy of recovering it is incomparable. These ten inspiring stories showcase how a mix of luck and the kindness of strangers can bring back what was once thought gone forever.
10. Del Toro’s notebook
Guillermo Del Toro’s tale stands out as one of the most renowned lost-and-found stories. His prized possession, a leather-bound journal, accompanies him everywhere, serving as a repository for his sketches and film ideas. This notebook contained four years of creative musings that would later shape El Labyrinth del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth). The film nearly didn’t happen after Del Toro left the notebook in a London cab. Fortunately, the driver discovered it along with a hotel logo on a scrap of paper. Recognizing the logo, the cabbie returned the notebook, and Del Toro, overjoyed, rewarded him with $900.
9. Kaufmann’s Horseman
Fallingwater, a celebrated symbol of American architecture and art, is home to the Kaufmann family’s remarkable art collection. In 1956, a flood at Bear Run creek swept away many of their outdoor sculptures. While most were recovered, only a fragment of Marino Marini’s The Horseman—a piece of the right hindquarter—was found. Decades later, in 2009, Seth Weible, a Fallingwater tour guide, discovered an unusual shape in the stream about a mile from the site. With approval from a Pennsylvania conservation group, he unearthed the rest of the sculpture’s hindquarter. Though only this fragment remains of the original, two replicas of The Horseman are now displayed in separate art galleries.
8. Lost & Found exhibit in London’s Underground
Richard Walker, the creative director of London’s KK Outlet Gallery, conceived a distinctive art exhibition. He explored the three-story London Transport lost and found facility to curate an exhibit featuring items forgotten on the Underground, London’s subway system. To his surprise, the lost and found housed an abundance of art, including shelves filled with portfolios, completed drawings, and paintings. The exhibit ran earlier this summer and, despite closing in June, successfully reunited three lost artworks with their creators. One such piece was a portrait of a young boy, painted by the artist who also happened to be the subject’s older brother. The artist had carried the painting from gallery to gallery, seeking an exhibition opportunity, only to leave it behind on the subway after a disappointing day. Fortunately, the exhibit provided a happy ending when he rediscovered his lost work.
7. Ceilidh Evans’ heirloom jingle dress
The jingle dress is a traditional ceremonial garment of the Métis people, an Indigenous group in Canada. Each dress is uniquely crafted based on a girl’s dream of its design. When Ceilidh Evans was seven, she envisioned a vibrant hot pink dress adorned with rainbow ribbons and copper cones that jingled during ceremonial dances. Her mother brought this vision to life, creating the dress. Over time, the dress was passed down through the family and eventually stored away—or so they thought. Unbeknownst to them, it had been accidentally sold at a yard sale. Years later, Evans’ mother enlisted the help of friends and acquaintances to locate the lost heirloom. Through a chain of emails and online posts, a woman recognized the dress as one her parents had purchased for their granddaughter. The dress was promptly returned to the Evans family, restoring a cherished piece of their heritage.
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6. The Doorman’s Corot
Franklin Puentes, a modest doorman at 995 Fifth Avenue near 81st Street in New York, stumbled upon a painting of a young girl hidden in the bushes near his building. Assuming it belonged to one of the wealthy residents, Puentes stored it in his locker for days, attempting to locate its owner. When no one claimed it, he concluded it might have been discarded and decided to take it home. After friends suggested the painting could be valuable, Puentes researched it online and discovered he was holding the lost Portrait of a Girl by renowned artist Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, valued at $1.3 million. The painting had been lost by a courier transporting it to a buyer at The Mark hotel. The incident sparked legal disputes and federal investigations, making it easy for Puentes to find information about the artwork. He handed the painting over to the police, who transferred it to the FBI due to its connection to an ongoing fraud investigation.
5. William Kingsland’s art collection
William Kingsland remains an enigmatic figure. A respected member of Manhattan’s art community, he was cherished by those who knew him personally, as evidenced by his online obituary. Yet, little was known about his private life beyond his intellectual interests and passion for art collecting. When Kingsland passed away in 2006 without heirs, his estate fell to New York State, which planned to auction his rumored art collection. This revealed his secret life: William Kingsland was not his real name. Born Melvyn Kohn in the Bronx, he adopted the persona of an art collector to blend into New York’s elite. Officials discovered his one-bedroom apartment filled with stacks of priceless artworks by masters like Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Copley. Many pieces were illegally obtained, though it’s unclear if Kingsland knowingly acquired them. While some works have been returned to their rightful owners, the FBI continues to investigate due to the sheer volume—over 300 pieces—of illicit art in his collection.
4. Childer’s Coin
In 1907, President Teddy Roosevelt gifted a gold coin, the Saint Gaudens Double Eagle High-Relief, to Panama’s first president, Manuel Amador Guerrero. Originally valued at $20, the coin’s rarity and intricate design made it a collector’s treasure, now worth between $50,000 and $90,000. This particular coin became a cherished family heirloom, passed down for 90 years. After a 1997 robbery, Tere Claiborne stored it in a safety deposit box to protect it. However, she lost the paperwork and never mentioned the box. Upon her death, the unclaimed contents were sent to the state’s Capitol Vault. Claiborne’s daughter, Phyllis Childer, recalled holding the coin as a child. After discovering its journey to the vault, she navigated extensive paperwork to reclaim the century-old family treasure.
3. Jesse Mattos class ring
In 1938, 18-year-old Jesse Mattos lost his high school class ring after accidentally flushing it down a toilet at work. Decades later, at the age of 90, Mattos was reunited with his cherished ring. City worker Tony Congi discovered the ring and recognized the school crest, which matched his own alma mater. Using clues like the graduation year (1938) and the initials JTM engraved inside, Congi embarked on a mission to find the owner. After locating a 1938 yearbook, he identified Jesse T. Mattos as the likely owner. With the help of a surviving classmate—Mattos’ best friend—Congi successfully returned the ring to its rightful owner after 72 years.
2. Ted Mogil’s Prayer Book
In 1942, Ted Mogil received a military-issued prayer book before being deployed to the South Pacific during World War II. As the sole Jewish soldier in his regiment, the prayer book became a cherished connection to his heritage, which he carried daily in his shirt’s left breast pocket. After the war, Mogil married and moved away from his Nebraska hometown. Sixty-seven years later, a 12-year-old boy named Will Beach found the prayer book at a temple book sale. Intrigued by Mogil’s name inscribed inside, Beach used his savings to purchase the book and, after an online search, located Mogil, who was then living in Washington. The prayer book was joyfully returned to its original owner.
1. Mae Sadler’s Family Photo
DeadFred.com, a free genealogy photo archive, allows users to upload old photographs in hopes of reconnecting them with their families. This service led Mae Sadler to discover an 85-year-old photo of her mother, taken when she was just five weeks old. The image had been found at a flea market and uploaded to DeadFred by another user. Fortunately, Sadler’s mother’s name was written on the back of the photo, enabling Sadler to find it during a surname search. As a direct descendant, Sadler was able to reclaim the original photograph through the efforts of DeadFred.com.
