Ambassador Kennedy's Telegram re: "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"

“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”: Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy as Movie Critic

By David Langbart “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” is considered one of the great motion pictures produced by the American movie industry.  In 1989, the Library of Congress added this masterpiece to the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The movie, starring James Stewart as Jefferson Smith (the “Mr. … Continue reading “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”: Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy as Movie Critic

Letter from ACLS Chairman William Dinsmoor to AOTUS Solon Buck

Committee of the American Council of Learned Societies on the Protection of Cultural Treasures in War Areas

Today’s post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives in College Park. The idea of establishing an American commission to assist in protecting and restituting cultural property in war areas grew out of discussions among American educators and museum officials about the potentially dangerous impact of the European war on historic … Continue reading Committee of the American Council of Learned Societies on the Protection of Cultural Treasures in War Areas

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

Joe and Dave’s Excellent Adventure!

Today’s post was written by David Pfeiffer, Reference Archivist at the National Archives in College Park. On a gorgeous late summer day in August, RDT2 archivists Joe Schwarz and David Pfeiffer traveled to Shenandoah National Park headquarters near Luray, Virginia, to examine some potentially alienated records at the request of NARA’s Office of the Inspector General … Continue reading Joe and Dave’s Excellent Adventure!

President Truman Creates the National Intelligence Authority and the Central Intelligence Group, January 22, 1946: The Documents

Today’s post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives in College Park. Recently I went to look in the stacks in the National Archives at College Park, MD for some information in the records of the Army’s Adjutant General (Record Group 407) about the relationship between the War Department’s Military … Continue reading President Truman Creates the National Intelligence Authority and the Central Intelligence Group, January 22, 1946: The Documents

How and When Did World War II Officially Become World War II?

Today’s post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives in College Park. An excellent source for answering the questions posed in the title of this post, and other military questions, is the records of the Office of the Adjutant General (Record Group 407). Specifically, to answer the official designation question, … Continue reading How and When Did World War II Officially Become World War II?

The American Defense, Harvard Group’s Committee on the Protection of Monuments

Today's post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives in College Park. In looking at some boxes of the Reference Collection of the Departmental Records Branch of the Army’s Office of the Adjutant General (Record Group 407), I stumbled upon two boxes labeled “Protection of Monuments.”  They carried the designation “Document … Continue reading The American Defense, Harvard Group’s Committee on the Protection of Monuments

Karl Kress: Photographer for the ERR and the Third U.S. Army MFA&A Special Evacuation Team

Today's post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives in College Park, MD. On June 14, 1945 1st Lt. Stephen Kovalyak, a Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives (MFA&A) officer, came to Alt Aussee, Austria with Lt. George Stout, USNR, another MFA&A officer, with the 12th Army Group, to evacuate the looted … Continue reading Karl Kress: Photographer for the ERR and the Third U.S. Army MFA&A Special Evacuation Team

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

Terence A. Coyne: An Office of Strategic Services’ Art Looting Investigation Unit Monuments Man

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 Terence A. Coyne: An Office of Strategic Services’ Art Looting Investigation Unit Monuments Man