Art Provenance and Claims Records and Research
Descriptive List of Key Records
Roberts Commission Index Cards
Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission), 1943–1946 (RG 239)
(a)
Record Group & Series: Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and
Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission) (RG 239); Card File on Art-Looting Suspects, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 26).
Description: This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information regarding art-looting suspects and those who aided them: name, address, date of birth or age, occupation, and summary of activities. Included in this series are cards for government and private organizations and private businesses which looted, confiscated, transported, sold, or stored collections. Also included are the names of private collections and businesses which were looted or seized and, in some cases, information on the suspected looters. Finally, there are cards containing the names of individuals supplying information on art-looting suspects and at least one organization, Artists Executive (Bildendo Kunstneres Styre), which attempted to prevent the auctioning of confiscated artwork. Arranged alphabetically by name.
This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1944, Rolls 44–49.
(b)
Record Group & Series: Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and
Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission) (RG 239); Geographical Card File on Possible Art-Looting Subjects, 1943–1946
(A1, Entry 27).
Description: This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: name, address, date of birth, education, occupation, summary or direct quotation regarding activities, and sources. Organizations and cultural institutions are also included and are inter-filed with the other cards. Arranged alphabetically by geographical region or country and thereunder alphabetically by name.
This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1944, Rolls 50–51.
(c)
Record Group & Series: Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and
Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission) (RG 239); Card File on Looted Art Objects, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 28).
Description: This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain the artist's name and the title and/or description of the artwork. Included is information on the removal and disposition of the artwork and, in some instances, sources for this information. Arranged alphabetically by artist's name.
This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1944, Roll 51.
(d)
Record Group & Series: Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and
Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission) (RG 239); Card File on Repositories, Collections, and Collectors Suspected of Receiving or Storing Looted Art
Objects, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 29).
Description: This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: repositories where collections were deposited, repositories or cities from which collections were removed, address or location of repositories, brief description of art objects, and dates regarding the movement of collections. At the end of the series are two cards labeled “Personnel”, one of which lists museum officials with knowledge of the removal of their museum's collections. Arranged alphabetically by name, owner, or location of repository (country or city).
This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1944, Roll 51.
(e)
Record Group & Series: Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and
Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission) (RG 239); Card File on Prisoners of War Suspected of Art Looting, 1943–1946
(A1, Entry 30).
Description: This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: name, address, occupation or military assignment, and brief account of activities regarding art objects. Arranged alphabetically by name.
This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1944, Roll 51.
(f)
Record Group & Series: Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and
Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission) (RG 239); Card File on Deceased Art-Looting Suspects, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 31).
Description: This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: name, address, occupation, and synopsis of activities in the art world. Arranged alphabetically by name.
This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1944, Roll 52.
(g)
Record Group & Series: Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and
Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission) (RG 239); Guide to Goering Papers, 1945 (A1, Entry 32).
Description: This series consists of a card file that serves as a reference guide to art objects in the Goering Papers, Nos. 1–475. These references include lists of artworks Goering purchased, exchanged, or wished to acquire. Also included are references to communications Goering had with Haberstock, Hofer, Kornatzki, Limberger, Muehlmann, Pannwitz, Zantop, and others, regarding these artworks. Arranged alphabetically by name.
This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1944, Roll 52.
(h)
Record Group & Series: Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and
Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission) (RG 239); Card File of European Specialists in Fine Arts, Books, and Manuscripts,
1943–1946 (A1, Entry 33).
Description: This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: name, address, date of birth, education, occupation, employer, information on political and/or ideological views, and wartime activities. Arranged alphabetically by name.
This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1944, Roll 52.
(i)
Record Group & Series: Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and
Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission) (RG 239); Card File on Art-Looting Suspects in France and Germany, 1943–1946
(A1, Entry 34).
Description: This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: name, address, education, wartime employment or activities, employer, photograph, and sources. Included in this card file are repositories and organizations such as Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR) and Kunstschutz. Arranged by country (France and Germany) and thereunder alphabetically by name.
This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1944, Rolls 52–54.
(j)
Record Group & Series: Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and
Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission) (RG 239); Card File on European Artists and Art Specialists, 1943–1946
(A1, Entry 35).
Description: This series consists of card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: name, address, education, wartime employment or activities, employer, and sources. Arranged by nationality and thereunder alphabetically by name.
This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1944, Roll 54.
(k)
Record Group & Series: Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and
Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission) (RG 239); Card File on Firms Involved in Art Looting, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 36).
Description: This series consists of card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: owner, address, brief history, wartime activities, and sources. Arranged alphabetically by name of firm.
This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1944, Roll 54.
(l)
Record Group & Series: Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and
Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission) (RG 239); Card File on Looted Cultural Materials, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 37).
Description: This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: description and/or photograph, facts regarding removal of object, and sources. Books and manuscripts are includes under the archives category. Arranged alphabetically by category such as archives, objets d'art, paintings, repositories, scientific material, and sculpture.
This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1944, Roll 54.
(m)
Record Group & Series: Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and
Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission) (RG 239); Card File on Historic Buildings and Structures, 1944–1945 (A1, Entry 38).
Description: This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: name of city or town, owner, notes on contents, condition, history of military occupation, and sources. The countries represented are Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Arranged by country and thereunder alphabetically by city or town.
This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1944, Roll 54.
(n)
Record Group & Series: Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and
Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission) (RG 239); Card File on Links with Neutral Countries, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 39).
Description This series consists of a card file in which each card contains the name of an individual, firm, or institution and a cross-reference. Many of the cross-references appear to refer to cards contained in Card File On Art-Looting Suspects, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 26), Geographical Card File on Possible Art-Looting Subjects, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 27), Card File on Prisoners of War Suspected of Art Looting, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 30), and Card File on Art-Looting Suspects in France and Germany, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 34). Other cross-references are to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Allied Military Government (AMG) reports. Included at the beginning of file are American liaisons for departments such as G-2, G-5, Naval Censorship, and Office of Strategic Services. Arranged alphabetically by name of individual, name of firm, or name of institution.
This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1944, Rolls 54–55.
(o)
Record Group & Series: Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and
Historic Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission) (RG 239); Code Identification File, 1943–1946 (A1, Entry 40).
Description: This series consists of a card file in which each card may contain some or all of the following information: alphabetical, alphanumeric, or numeric code designator; how and date the material arrived such as “London Pouch XX 005-622 – 22 June 1945;” file where material may be found; and disposal of the material. Arranged by an alphabetical or alphanumeric code designation (JRX, JZX, LSX, RX, X, XL, XX, XX-001, XX1) and thereunder numerically. Four cards are arranged numerically (132234–134935).
This series is available on NARA Microfilm Publication M1944, Roll 55.