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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Richard Luscombe

LA fires could test Getty Center’s claim of being safest place to store artwork

smoke rises above mountains and white building
Smoke rises near the Getty Center as seen from the 405 freeway, in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday. Photograph: Ringo Chiu/Reuters

It houses some of the richest treasures of the art world, such as Vincent van Gogh’s Irises, a popular Rembrandt and a priceless collection of paintings, portraits and other works spanning more than seven centuries.

To protect them, the Getty Center in Los Angeles was built in 1997 as “a marvel of anti-fire engineering”, complete with fire-resistant stone and concrete, protected steel, and set in well-irrigated landscaping.

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