One Hundred Years at the Library: Monuments Men and Women

Stephen J. Bury, Andrew W. Mellon Chief Librarian, presents a group of maps, guides, photos, and other objects related to the Frick Art Reference Library’s involvement in cultural preservation during World War II. From July 1943 to January 1944, the institution closed to the public to serve as the headquarters of the Committee on the Protection of Cultural Treasures in War Areas, part of the so-called Monuments Men program—a rare but pivotal time the library’s century-long history intersected with major world events.

Explore more about the Frick during World War II.

All the objects highlighted in this video series are featured in the celebratory publication One Hundred Objects in the Frick Art Reference Library, available for purchase at the shop. You can consult materials in the library's collections in our reading room—book a free visit today.

0:41: German loot discovered by troops of the U.S. Third Army in a church in the city of Ellingen, April 24, 1945. This image and below courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration; all other archival images from The Frick Collection/Frick Art Reference Library Archives.

0:45: Lt. Dale V. Ford (left) and Monuments Man Harry L. Ettlinger inspecting a Rembrandt self-portrait recovered from a trove of art in a German salt mine, May 3, 1946.

One Hundred Years at the Library is supported in part by Virginia and Randall Barbato.