The German Jet Me-262 in 1944: A Failed Opportunity – Part II

Today’s post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives in College Park.  Part 1 of this series can be found here. During August and September Galland lobbied unsuccessfully against the plane being used as a bomber. During September, 72 were produced as bombers and only 19 as fighters. Galland was, however, able … Continue reading The German Jet Me-262 in 1944: A Failed Opportunity – Part II

The German Jet Me-262 in 1944: A Failed Opportunity – Part I

Today’s post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives in College Park. As early as 1937, the German Messerschmitt Company developed the jet plane, the Me-262 Schwalbe (Swallow).  It was flown experimentally in 1941 with a piston engine and then successfully in 1942 with jet engines, but was rejected by the … Continue reading The German Jet Me-262 in 1944: A Failed Opportunity – Part I

An Office of Strategic Services Monuments Man: S. Lane Faison

This is the seventh in an ongoing series of posts on real-life Monuments Men. Today’s post is by Dr. Greg Bradsher. See related posts on Sir Charles Leonard Woolley, Walter J. Huchthausen, Seymour J. Pomrenze, Mason Hammond, Edith Standen, and Karol Estreicher. The forthcoming movie, The Monuments Men, has focused great attention on the Monuments Men (and women) and … Continue reading An Office of Strategic Services Monuments Man: S. Lane Faison

The National Gallery of Art, the National Archives, and Art Provenance Research

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher. Nancy Yeide, head of the Department of Curatorial Records at the National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington, D.C., in December 1997, began doing provenance research on the NGA’s holdings to ascertain whether any of the works of art had provenance problems.  In the wake of the revelations … Continue reading The National Gallery of Art, the National Archives, and Art Provenance Research