Robert Edsel's Blog

In the short while I have served the National World War ll Museum board as a trustee, I have come to know many of the very fine people that run this great organization and museum.  To the person they are incredibly enthusiastic about the mission of the museum and the opportunity they have to further the telling of the heroism of Americans who fought to preserve the liberties we enjoy today.  I have met some of the other trustees who have worked for years donating time and financial resources to making the museum a reality, truly one of the great visitor experiences anywhere.  This was reinforced for all of us at the Monuments Men Foundation this past weekend during our company visit to New Orleans where I was a keynote speaker about the Monuments Men at the International World War II Conference.

One of the more prominent members of the board is Super Bowl winning quarterback Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints.  Drew’s grandfather stormed onto the beaches of the South Pacific during World War II as a young marine.   He knows firsthand the importance of honoring these remarkable veterans and sharing the story of their sacrifices with people today.  In fact, Drew has participated in several USO tours to visit our troops overseas.  It speaks well of this young man that his life and conduct off the competitive field is defined by helping others and serving his community.

People such as Drew make the National World War II Museum the special place it has become.  The Monuments Men Foundation is so very excited about our ongoing relationship with the Museum and the day when the legacy of the Monuments Men and their story will be a part of the permanent exhibitions on display.

To view Drew Bree’s speaking about the National World War II Museum and the importance of its mission, please click on the link.

Rembrandt, "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee", 1633, Oil on canvas, inscribed on the rudder, 161.7 x 129.8 cm (Image Courtesy of Isabella Stewart Museum)

Today it has been 20 years since 13 invaluable works of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, in what has been called the largest property theft in recorded history.

Vermeer, "The Concert", 1658–1660 Oil on canvas, 72.5 x 64.7 cm. (Image Courtesy of Isabella Stewart Museum)

On the night of March 18, 1990, two thieves dressed as Boston police officers gained entry to the museum, handcuffed both night guards, and proceeded to spend about 40 minutes stealing art from 3 different galleries. Among the missing works of art are Vermeer’s The Concert and Rembrandt’s Storm on the Sea of Galilee. A $5 reward is still being offered for information leading to the recovery of the works of art.

For more information on the theft, please visit the museum’s website:
http://www.gardnermuseum.org/information/theft.asp

Monuments Man George Stout (Image Courtesy of National Archives)

The Gardner Museum is one of the premiere museums in the United States, established at the turn of the 20^th century. It houses more than 2,500 works of art in an intimately designed space. Monuments Man George Stout [link to his bio] served as Director of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum from 1955 to 1970.

National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. (Image Courtesy of Wikipedia Images)

When visiting the National Gallery of Art in Washington, it’s hard to believe it is only 69 years old.  Its majestic appearance and rich collections suggest a museum many centuries in age.  How could all these artistic treasures be assembled so late in history?  Who had the vision to suggest that the United States finally have a national collection for the people such as those in nearly all European countries?

National Gallery of Art West Side in the 1940s (Image Courtesy of Wikipedia Images)

In fact, hard as it is to believe, much of the success of the National Gallery of Art is due to the generosity of one man:  Andrew W. Mellon. Mellon was a successful financier before serving as the Secretary of the Treasury from 1921-1932 and U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1932-1933. He began collecting art, mostly old master painters and sculpture, during World War l.  By the late 1920s he had developed a vision that would become the National Gallery of Art, a collection of the world’s greatest works of art for the benefit of its citizens.   However, while he continued to add to his extraordinary collection, his plans for the museum and the donations he would make that would assure its construction were kept secret.

Andrew Mellon (Image Courtesy of National Gallery of Art)

In 1930, with the world firmly in the grip of the Depression, Mellon seized on one of the greatest buying opportunities in the history of collecting: a series of purchases from Russia’s greatest museum, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, a once in a lifetime event driven by orders from Soviet Premier Stalin to museum officials to raise cash by selling art. This despicable decision by Stalin was received with shock by museum officials, but fear of the repercussions outweighed any alternative.  In the course of a year Mellon purchased 21 paintings, the likes of which would never have been available but for these extraordinary circumstances, including Raphael’s Alba Madonna and Jan van Eyck’s The Annunciation.  It was the coup of Mellon’s collecting career.

The Opening Ceremony at the National Gallery of Art presided by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. (Image Courtesy of National Gallery of Art)

In 1936 Mellon wrote President Roosevelt and formally offered to build the National Gallery of Art building and donate his collection to the nation.  Ultimately 121 paintings and 21 pieces of sculpture from Mellon’s collection were gifted.  Not only did he provide $15 million to build the building, but he also stipulated that it would not bear his name.  This was not only an extraordinary act of selflessness but also a strategically wise decision because Mellon knew he had to enlist the support of his peers to also promise their respective collections to the National Gallery of Art.  Putting his name on the building was something he understood would make that task difficult if not impossible. By excluding his name from the building Mellon was empowered to persuade others, including Samuel H. Kress, Chester Dale, and Joseph P. Widener, to donate or commit their collections to the nation.  In the coming years these great collectors and many others made gifts of collections and funds, a tradition that continues to this day.

Leonardo da Vinci, "Ginevra de Benci", 1476, Oil on Wood, 38.8 cm × 36.7 cm (15.3 in × 14.4 in) (Image Courtesy of Wikipedia Images)

Mellon also established a trust, donating $10 million, to fund the Gallery during those early years.  This was just the beginning of almost a century of philanthropy by the Mellon family as Mellon’s son, Paul, and daughter, Ailsa Mellon Bruce, continued their father’s support with generous financial donations as well as works of art.  In fact, the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in an American collection, Ginevra de’ Benci, is at the National Gallery of Art, made possible by the Ailsa Mellon Bruce fund.

Robert M. Edsel speaking at The National Gallery of Art in January 2010. (Photo Courtesy of Robert M. Edsel Collection)

The National Gallery of Art is one of our nation’s greatest cultural centers and is full of visitors every day of the year but for the two it is closed. The facilities are state of the art and beautiful to admire. Anyone wanting to see one of the world’s great collections of art need not travel further than Washington, D.C. For those seeking a great example of selfless giving, study Andrew Mellon and his role in making this once lofty vision a reality.

The International Conference on World War II will be held from March 18^th – 20^th in New Orleans, Louisiana, sponsored by the National World War II Museum. This 3-day event will consist of keynote addresses, lectures, conferences, and roundtable discussions.

Robert Edsel is giving the keynote address on Friday, March 19 from 8:30am – 10:00, after which he will be discussing Art & War at 10:30, with Marc Pachter and Rick Atkinson. Some of the other topics that will be discussed during the conference are Allies at War, Death from Above, Espionage, Normandy, and War Crime Trials. There will also be an opportunity to meet Robert and the other speakers at a roundtable reception on Friday evening. Included with conference passes is the chance to view the museum’s exhibits as well as Beyond All Boundaries – the museum’s newest multi-experiential film at the Solomon Victory Theater. This film is truly a not to be missed visual experience.

If you are interested in attending this conference, please go to www.ww2conference.com to register on-line, or call 1-877-813-3329 x 500 or 504-527-6012 x 500. We look forward to seeing you there this week.

If you are fan of “Band of Brothers”, then you are in for a treat when “The Pacific” premiers this Sunday at 9pm EST/8pm CST on HBO. This ten part miniseries follows the lives of 3 marines who fought in the war of the Pacific. All reviews of this show gave it the highest of marks and compliments, not surprising since the same team that produced “Band of Brothers” produced “The Pacific” including Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. I hope everyone has a chance to watch this highly anticipated show and remembers the men and women who gave their live to save us from tyranny.

“The Pacific” Homepage

(Photo Courtesy of Kings College, Cambridge)

Today we honor the anniversary of British Monuments Man Ronald Balfour’s death. He was one of two Monuments Men killed in action while working to preserve the cultural heritage of Europe. While writing The Monuments Men, we researched his papers at King’s College, Cambridge. As usual, his papers were not only filled with reports and biographical information, but also touching personal letters and memories of him from professional associates and loved ones.

Amongst these things we found a draft of a lecture he had prepared for soldiers on the importance of protecting cultural property in times of war. We don’t know if the lecture was ever given, but his words perfectly and eloquently summarize the mission of the Monuments Men.

“We do not want to destroy unnecessarily what men spent so much time and care and skill in making…[for] these examples of craftsmanship tell us so much about our ancestors…If these things are lost or broken or destroyed, we lose a valuable part of our knowledge about our forefathers. No age lives entirely alone; every civilization is formed not merely by its own achievements but by what it has inherited from the past. If these things are destroyed, we have lost a part of our past, and we shall be the poorer for it.”

You may read Balfour’s full biography here: http://monumentsmen.com/bio.php?id=11

It’s hard to believe that this is our 20th newsletter! So much has happened in the last 3 years. I hope you enjoy our latest publication – just click to download the PDF version.

Elliott Dlin, the longtime director of Dallas’ Holocaust Museum. (Photo Courtesy of Dallas Morning News)

Everyone who has accomplished anything of importance has benefited by a key break from someone else.  Perhaps it was the opening of a door to see someone otherwise unavailable, or help with solving a seemingly irresolvable problem.  Oftentimes it’s something as simple as receiving an encouraging word.  This has certainly been true for the Monuments Men Foundation!

One of the people who played an important role in our work and was a constant supporter of mine was Elliot Dlin, an instrumental figure in the Jewish community and longtime director of the Dallas Holocaust Museum.  This week, Elliot died at the far too young age of 57.

I met Elliot at a booksigning for my first book, Rescuing Da Vinci, in 2006.  This large man, who possessed the charming and genuine smile of a happy boy, came bounding up to me, bypassing the line of people in the most kind and enthusiastic of ways, and said….”I’m Elliot Dlin and I can’t wait to show you some of the documents and letters your work has brought to mind!!!” His passion and and energy for not only his work, but LIFE, were hallmarks of his engaging personality.

Over the next three years I saw Elliot 3-4 times per year, sometimes at events, and on other occasions when I visited the Dallas Holocaust Museum.  Each time he would greet me with his warm smile and tell me how happy he was to see me – and I always knew he meant it.  This fine man and dedicated public servant followed our work closely and took time to relay his pride in our achievements.  He was a giver, a sharer, someone who wanted those around him to succeed.

In late 2006 Elliot contacted me, even before the Foundation was officially formed, to seek my assistance with several calls he had received from someone who claimed to have important Nazi documents.  Elliot selflessly turned this over to the Foundation to handle.  Over the course of the following year the Foundation not only determined the importance of the discovery, but ultimately acquired and then donated these documents to the National Archives.  It was a great success for the Foundation and the Dallas Holocaust Museum, and a significant benefit for our nation. No one was more pleased than Elliot and appropriately so:  but for his call to us, we might never have known about the lead.

We mourn the loss of this good man and extend to his family, and all those who knew and loved him, our most sincere condolences.

Elliot Dlin at the 2008 Hope for Humanities Dinner and Award Banquet. (Photo Courtesy of Dallas Holocaust Museum)