My blog discussing the Monuments Men would not be complete without mentioning George Stout, the foreman of the group. Unlike James Rorimer and many of his other peers, George did not come from a privileged background, he was a “blue-collar kid” who grew up in a small town in Iowa (Art). After serving in WWI, Stout returned to Iowa to receive his bachelor’s degree in Art in 1921 (Monuments). George then became a professor to earn money for his study abroad trip to Europe (Monuments). 1926 marked the year that Stout began his graduate studies at Harvard (Art). George Stout’s reputation as a legendary art conservator began with his work at the conservation department of Harvard’s Fogg museum (Art). There he conducted research and made breakthroughs in “color spectroscopy, paint composition, methods of authentication, and the influence of atmospheric conditions on works of art” (Monuments). George Stout was a brilliant man who helped move art conservation to more than just an art, but made it into a science.
As World War II was just getting started, George followed Europe’s lead and led the effort to evacuate and safeguard artwork in the United States. He helped create the American Harvard Group which ten established the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas, later known as the Roberts Commission (Monuments). In 1943, George enlisted in the US Navy and began developing camouflage techniques for military aircraft (Art). In June of 1944, he was transferred to the MFAA (Monuments). He was chosen as their leader not only because of his expertise, but also because he had previous war experience. The majority of the Monuments Men did not have any previous war experience, which was essential to the role of a leader for many reasons. The first reason is that they were in a war, and the leader needed to understand war language and tactics. It was important that their leader is able to communicate with other wartime leaders. The second reason was that other military leaders were reluctant to take orders from a man with no previous military experience. Due to George Stout’s previous experience in World War I, there was some credibility established. George Stout was delegated with the task of telling these captains and lieutenants where they could fight and where they could not. These military leaders were told that they had to avoid and minimize damage to historical monuments and sites and were reluctant to listen. For example, soldiers and civilians were reluctant to adhere to signs that read “Off Limits”, so in order to fix the problem, Stout created signs that read “DANGER: MINES!” (Art). What a clever fellow!
Stout’s leadership and guidance were invaluable and is perfectly described by fellow Monuments Man Walker Hancock, “I can’t imagine what we would have done without George Stout’s experienced guidance. . . art treasures of incalculable value were secured and preserved… due to his [Stout’s] energetic and resourceful action” (Monuments).
The Art Army. (2010, January). Retrieved November 06, 2016, from http://harvardmagazine.com/2010/01/monuments-men-rescuing-art-stolen-by-nazis
The Monuments Men. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2016, from http://www.monumentsmenfoundation.org/the-heroes/the-monuments-men/
