The AAM guide to provenance research

This guide is a comprehensive and authoritative resource for tracing the ownership history of works of art. Focused on cultural property looted by the Nazis and others during WWII, it is divided into three parts: Basic Provenance Research and Principles, Holocaust-Era Provenance Research, and Appendices which include bibliographies of collections, dealer archives, and "red flag names" compiled by the Office of Strategic Services. Includes an index and reproductions of artworks and relevant documents.

• Introduction p. ix
• Why is provenance important? p. 1
• Major trends in collecting European art p. 1
• Conducting provenance research p. 5
• How to use this guide p. 5
• Part 1 Basic Provenance Research and Principles p. 7
• Chapter 1 Introduction p. 9
• What information do you need? p. 9
• Chapter 2 Assembling the Information You Have p. 11
• The object p. 11
• Institutional files p. 15
• Case study: Portrait of James Hay p. 17
• Chapter 3 Library Research p. 21
• The Artist p. 21
• The Collector p. 24
• Dealers p. 28
• Auctions p. 28
• Case study: Holbein, Sir Bryan Tuke p. 30
• Chapter 4 How to Record Provenance p. 33
• Sample format for recording provenance p. 33
• Part 2 Holocaust-Era Provenance Research p. 37
• Chapter 5 Introduction p. 39
• Chapter 6 Historical Overview p. 41
• Key dates p. 41
• Nazi collecting priorities p. 41
• Case study: De Bles, Landscape with Burning City p. 44
• Special case: The office of the alien property custodian and the "vesting" of cultural property p. 46
• Chapter 7 Prioritizing Your Research p. 49
• Mind the gap p. 49
• Red flags p. 50
• Case study: "Red-flag" names p. 52
• Chapter 8 U.S. Resources p. 55
• National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) p. 55
• Looting p. 58
• Case study: Snyders, Still Life with Fruit and Game p. 68
• Investigations p. 71
• Case study: Two Matisse paintings from the Paul Rosenberg collection p. 74
• Claims p. 78
• Restitution p. 94
• Other U.S. Resources p. 103
• Case study: Degas, Landscape with Smokestacks p. 105
• Chapter 9 European Resources p. 109
• Archives, restitution agencies, and published losses p. 109
• Special case: Sales from Soviet museums, 1928-31 p. 134
• Case study: Cranach, Adam and Eve p. 135
• Conclusion p. 141
• Contributors p. 145
• Glossary p. 146
• Illustrations p. 148
• Index p. 150
• Appendices to Part 1 p. 159
• Appendix A Selected bibliography on the history of collecting: collectors, collections, grand tours p. 161
• Appendix B Selected biographical research resources p. 201
• Appendix C Selected bibliography of dealers and dealers' memoirs p. 206
• Appendix D Dealer archives and locations p. 214
• Appendix E Selected resources for auction sales and exhibitions p. 243
• Appendix F Selected art libraries and photographic archives p. 246
• Appendices to Part 2 p. 253
• Appendix G Selected bibliography on looting and restitution p. 255
• Appendix H The Art Looting Investigation Unit (ALIU) List p. 259
• Appendix I Selected "red-flag" names from the ALIU List p. 293
• Appendix J List of Consolidated and Detailed Interrogation Reports p. 297
• Appendix K List of Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR) codes p. 299