{"id":8555,"date":"2026-05-21T21:01:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T21:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=8555"},"modified":"2026-05-21T21:01:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T21:01:57","slug":"art-removal-by-owner-of-riversides-mission-inn-is-called-vindictive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=8555","title":{"rendered":"Art removal by owner of Riverside\u2019s Mission Inn is called \u2018vindictive\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Frank Miller traveled the world buying art and antiquities to add to the flavor of his renowned Riverside hotel, the Mission Inn, before his 1935 death.<\/p>

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On Wednesday, May 20 two prominent paintings purchased by Miller more than a century ago were carried out of the historic hotel in broad daylight.<\/p>\n

Men took down the paintings, wrapped them in plastic and toted them out. One, \u201cCalifornia Alps,\u201d was in the lobby near the reception desk, elevators and restrooms. The other, \u201cCharge Up San Juan Hill,\u201d was in the hotel steakhouse, but with a clear sightline from the lobby.<\/p>\n

It was like a slow-motion version of the Louvre Museum heist, pulled off on a sunny day in Riverside in view of guests, staff and visitors, some of whom brought out their phones for a quick photo.<\/p>\n

Kelly Roberts appears to have taken personal possession of the paintings eight days before escrow closes on her sale of the historic hotel to the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation tribe. Her attorney declined comment.<\/p>\n

Preservationists were astonished.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels vindictive,\u201d said Philip Falcone, a City Council member who is a former Mission Inn docent. \u201cThe sale closes in a week. They have one foot out the door and at the 11th hour, they do a smash-and-grab. I just can\u2019t fathom it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The baroque hotel occupies an entire block bounded by Mission Inn Avenue and Orange, Main and Sixth streets. Its architecture borrows elements of California missions and European castles and is filled with antiques and art \u2014 although with two fewer example as of this week.<\/p>

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Falcone last spoke to Kelly Roberts on May 4, when she phoned for a personal 15-minute conversation to inform him about the sale of the hotel. According to the council member, Roberts \u201cexpressed frustration\u201d with the city and with the state of California as places to do business and said the city \u201chas never done anything\u201d to support the hotel.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why Falcone said the removal of the two paintings feels spiteful. He doubts Roberts, a billionaire, has any purpose in mind but to sell the art to enrich herself.<\/p>\n

The paintings were not Old Masters, but they have a long pedigree.<\/p>\n

\u201cCalifornia Alps,\u201d from 1874, painted by William Keith, portrays the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The painting measures roughly 6 feet by 10 feet and was in an imposing frame.<\/p>

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Miller, who developed the Mission Inn in stages from 1903 to 1931, bought \u201cCalifornia Alps\u201d at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco in 1915. It is believed to have been displayed at the hotel ever since.<\/p>\n

\u201cCharge Up San Juan Hill,\u201d from 1900, was painted by Vasili Vereshchagin and measures roughly 6 feet by 8 feet. It depicts the U.S. Army\u2019s Rough Riders, led by Theodore Roosevelt, charging up a hill in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.<\/p>\n

Miller bought the painting in 1917 at auction in San Francisco. This painting must have held special meaning for him: Roosevelt, as president, had stayed at the Mission Inn in 1903.<\/p>\n

Both paintings are cited in the book \u201cHistoric Mission Inn,\u201d a photo-filled history of the property published by Friends of the Mission Inn.<\/p>\n

\u201cCalifornia Alps\u201d is described as \u201cone of the Inn\u2019s most valuable possessions.\u201d Naturalist John Muir, a friend of the artist\u2019s as well as of Miller\u2019s, is said to have called the painting \u201cthe bible of the Sierras.\u201d<\/p>

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Regarding \u201cCharge Up San Juan Hill,\u201d the book says it is located in the hotel\u2019s \u201cmost exclusive dining area\u201d and by its placement on the brick wall\u2019s center panel enhanced the atmosphere.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, instead of a painting in a gilt wood frame, there was a blank brick wall and mismatched paint. How\u2019s that for atmosphere?<\/p>\n

Providentially, I was in Riverside on Wednesday when the tip about the paintings came in. I saw \u201cCalifornia Alps\u201d already down from the wall, resting on a sheet of plastic, as a crew prepared to wrap it. They were behind caution tape and a guard stood sentry.<\/p>\n

I took a few photos discreetly, then headed toward the California Lounge. In the bar area, a hotel staffer ran to intercept me, saying no one was allowed further.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey specifically don\u2019t want photos of that,\u201d the employee said.<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t blame them. Thankfully, a docent had already gotten photos that morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t believe it was happening, but it was,\u201d James Ranger told me. He has been among the docents on the property the past eight years.<\/p>\n

Other artifacts have gone missing over the decades, starting in the 1950s after Miller\u2019s heirs sold the hotel. Hotelier Ben Swig sold items at auction in the 1950s and \u201960s, and others were lifted by guests or trespassers in later years.<\/p>\n

Duane Roberts bought the long-closed hotel in December 1992 and, joined by his wife Kelly, owned it until his death Nov. 1 at age 88. Escrow on the sale to Yuhaaviatam is said to be closing May 28.<\/p>\n

The whereabouts of some well-loved items during the Roberts era is unknown. One is a small oil painting, \u201cArch Beach,\u201d which was displayed until recent years under \u201cCalifornia Alps.\u201d Others include a statue of the goddess Pomona and a Steinway piano.<\/p>\n