Hoyt Sherman Place solves an art mystery

A handbook from 1882 has solved a Hoyt Sherman Place mystery, confirming two of its most prized paintings were exhibited by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why it matters: The detail adds provenance to Old Master paintings that are worth millions of dollars but had gone largely overlooked until recent years.

Catch up fast: Three of five paintings donated decades ago by heirs of local businessman Nason Bartholomew Collins were believed to have been exhibited at the Met, according to a 1941 handwritten note that was among the collection.

Yes, but: Some of the paintings had been mislabeled and, until now, there was no physical proof of their role in one of the New York museum's earliest exhibits.

Driving the news: After seven years of searching rare bookstores, CEO Robert Warren found online a copy of the Met's " Pictures by Old Masters ," which lists the paintings.

• He paid $160 for the 30-page booklet, which was originally sold at the exhibit for 10 cents.

State of play: One of the three paintings was sold in 2004 for $85,000, which helped pay for a $5.5 million theater modernization project. The others remain on display at Hoyt Sherman Place.

• " Apollo and Venus ," is a work by famous Dutch painter Otto van Veen that Warren found in Hoyt Sherman's attic in 2016.
• " The Repentant Magdalene " is a nearly 350-year-old unsigned painting traced to Belgium.

If you go: Admission to Hoyt Sherman's art gallery is free, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.