The Monuments Men: Taking Stock and Preparing to Move Forward, December 1944

Today’s post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives in College Park. The Monuments Men -- the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives (MFA&A) specialists assigned to General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) -- had begun operations in France in June 1944 and by December had moved into … Continue reading The Monuments Men: Taking Stock and Preparing to Move Forward, December 1944

Everett Parker Lesley, Jr.: The Monuments Man who drafted the Wiesbaden Manifesto

Today’s post, written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, is the next installment in an ongoing series of posts on real-life Monuments Men. The movie, The Monuments Men, has focused great attention on the Monuments Men (and women) and their work during and after World War II. Of course the movie cannot tell the story of the … Continue reading Everett Parker Lesley, Jr.: The Monuments Man who drafted the Wiesbaden Manifesto

Monuments Man Thomas Carr Howe, Jr. and the Evacuation and Restitution of European Cultural Treasures

Today’s post, written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, is the next installment in an ongoing series of posts on real-life Monuments Men. The movie, The Monuments Men, has focused great attention on the Monuments Men (and women) and their work during and after World War II.  Of course the movie cannot tell the story of the over … Continue reading Monuments Man Thomas Carr Howe, Jr. and the Evacuation and Restitution of European Cultural Treasures

National Archives Hosts International Research Portal for Records Related to Nazi-Era Cultural Property

Today’s post is written by Chris Naylor, Director of Textual Records for Research Services, Washington DC. The Nazis and their collaborators engaged in widespread and systematic confiscation of art and cultural property between 1933 and 1945 through various means including theft, coercion, and forced sales. These activities resulted in the displacement of millions of items … Continue reading National Archives Hosts International Research Portal for Records Related to Nazi-Era Cultural Property

Julianna Bumbar: A Monuments Woman

Today's post, written by  Dr. Sylvia Naylor, is the next installment to an ongoing series of posts on real-life Monuments Men. See related posts on Sir Charles Leonard Woolley, Walter J. Huchthausen, Seymour J. Pomrenze, Mason Hammond, Edith Standen, Karol Estreicher, S. Lane Faison, Sir Hilary Jenkinson, Walter Horn, Douglas Cooper, Ronald Balfour and Walker Hancock. The newly released movie, The Monuments Men, has focused great attention on … Continue reading Julianna Bumbar: A Monuments Woman

Hometown Hero: Walker Kirtland Hancock, St. Louis’s Monuments Man

Today's post comes to us from archivist Theresa Fitzgerald of the National Archives at St. Louis. Theresa has previously shared her expertise with us in a popular post on how to access veterans' records and today she applies that knowledge to another topic we love, the Monuments Men.   The recently released film, The Monuments Men, has garnered … Continue reading Hometown Hero: Walker Kirtland Hancock, St. Louis’s Monuments Man

A British Monuments Man Killed in Action: Ronald Balfour

This is the eleventh 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, Karol Estreicher, S. Lane Faison, Sir Hilary Jenkinson, Walter Horn and Douglas Cooper. The newly released movie, The Monuments Men, has focused great … Continue reading A British Monuments Man Killed in Action: Ronald Balfour

A British Art Historian and Collector Monuments Man: Douglas Cooper

This is the tenth in a 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, Karol Estreicher, S. Lane Faison, Sir Hilary Jenkinson, and Walter Horn. The forthcoming movie, The Monuments Men, has focused great attention on the Monuments Men … Continue reading A British Art Historian and Collector Monuments Man: Douglas Cooper

A Monuments Man Investigator: Walter Horn

This is the ninth 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, Karol Estreicher, S. Lane Faison, and Sir Hilary Jenkinson. The forthcoming movie, The Monuments Men, has focused great attention on the Monuments … Continue reading A Monuments Man Investigator: Walter Horn

The Monuments Men and the Recovery of the Art in the Merkers Salt Mine April 1945

Today's post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher. In the forthcoming movie The Monuments Men there will be a scene of Monuments Men entering the salt mine at Merkers, Thuringia, Germany in April 1945, and beholding German and looted gold, concentration camp victims’ gold teeth, and fabulous artwork.  The scene looks something like this: Capture … Continue reading The Monuments Men and the Recovery of the Art in the Merkers Salt Mine April 1945