ELAYNE GALLERIES

Elayne and Russ Lindberg had moved to St. Louis Park in 1950, where Russ worked as a painter and decorator. Elayne had a master's degree in social sciences, and after her children were grown she became an expert in handwriting analysis.  From 1966 to 1968 she worked as a store detective at Dayton’s, using her skills to spot forged checks. In 1970 she worked as a part time policewoman, apprehending shoplifters in an unnamed department store.  One report said that she was responsible for locking up the leaders of six major Minneapolis gangs. A Sun article explains that she counseled her often young perps on their strong points using handwriting analysis.  She believed that there was good in everyone.  She was often called in to authenticate signatures on wills. She also worked for Sheriffs’ offices and wrote the book The Power of Positive Handwriting.  She also did handwriting analysis for a psychiatrist.

In the late 1960s, downtown was getting dangerous and there were more professional shoplifters. After she had success selling oil paintings she’d imported from Europe, Elayne resigned from Dayton’s and opened up her own gallery. In the course of his decorating business, Russ had already accumulated some 200 oil paintings. Elayne Galleries was launched in October 1971 in the Wooddale Professional Building. The business took over more and more space, until she moved to 6111 Excelsior Blvd. in 1977.

Sometime before 1am on February 16, 1978, Elayne Galleries was struck by thieves who took off with 7 Norman Rockwells worth $145,000 and a Renoir valued at $150,000. Many of the pieces were on loan from Brown and Bigelow. They were insured. The Art Crime Law dictated that the theft was in the jurisdiction of the FBI. Elayne bounced back with a Rockwell show on February 14, 1979, displaying 232 works valued at $500,000.

Ah, the internet:  On December 13, 2001, three Norman Rockwell paintings stolen in 1978 were recovered from a Brazilian farmhouse owned by an art dealer. The three paintings – "The Spirit of '76," "So Much Concern" and "A Hasty Retreat" – were returned to their owner, Brown & Bigelow Company, a Minneapolis calendar publisher. The works, worth $700,000 to $1 million, were among seven stolen in 1978 from the Elayne Galleries in St. Louis Park, Minnesota ("National Briefing Midwest: Stolen Rockwell Paintings Found," NY Times. 13 December 2001).  Thanks to Keith Meland for spotting this.

The Lindbergs were also professional magicians for 15 years, specializing in Houdini’s “escape from the trunk” trick. Russ was also a musician and poet.

After Elayne passed away in 1994, the business was run by their daughter Bonnie Lindberg until about 2003. Bonnie remains an art appriaser.

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.