Steampunk Santa postcards

The reason I know about Rose Valland is because I was just reading the book Stealing the Mystic Lamb (kind of a dumb title, actually).

Which is all about the history of Van Eyck's Ghent Alterpiece, one of the most significant works in the history of Western Art and the most stolen. Which is itself curious since it's eight panels painted on solid oak and weighs about two tons altogether.

Anyway, it's last big theft was by the Nazis during their great art looting, which is such a bizarre and amazing and fascinating story.

Lincoln Kirstein (founder of New York City Ballet among many other cultural institutions) was assigned to a special squad assigned to front line troops intent on tracking down and finding and protecting caches of stolen art. They'd give lectures to the GIs before every town they took on their march up through Italy, telling them which churches not to blow up, among other things.

Anyway, the Nazis had several massive caches of stolen art, but the biggest was in a salt mine in Austria, Alt Ausse. It was packed with Rembrandts and Raphaels and Titians and Van Eycks, and in the waning days of the war the zealous commander of the area was intent on destroying it all, blowing it all up and flooding the mine rather than let the allies get it back.

So there was this desperate scramble among the Austrian resistance (which was busy among the very salt miners who worked at Alt Ausse), General Patton (who diverted his army so their route would take them to Alt Ausse), double agents, and even some sympathetic Nazis to save the art.

Ultimately the miners secretly removed the bombs which had been installed in the mines, and planted small charges around the mouth of the mines to seal it off. Then the resistance fighters held off the Germans who came with flame throwers until the U.S. Army arrived.

There are just so many amazing stories about trying to keep the art out of the Nazis hands. The Wreck of the Medusa (which is massive) was smuggled out of Paris concealed among theatrical flats from the Comedie Francaise.

So the Nazis were all, "If we can't have this art, no one can!"? What a bunch of babies!

Does anyone else see posts from today on the Good Stuff blog? There should be at least two, and stuff has disappeared from the queue, but not shown up on the actual blog? I don't get it. And of course I don't remember what was queued up, so I can't recreate it.

I don't see anything from today, Jesse. Last thing in my dashboard is the ginger cat.

So the Nazis were all, "If we can't have this art, no one can!"? What a bunch of babies!

Actually just one extra bad Nazi. The leader of the resistance fighters actually went over his head to his boss, a high up SS officer, to stop him. An incredibly risky thing to do, but it helped stall the plan to flood the mines.

Jilli, here is Olivia's Draculara, with extra blood, "because vampires like blood."

I don't see anything from today, Jesse. Last thing in my dashboard is the ginger cat.

That's so annoying! I had stuff in the queue! Which is no longer there! Hmph.

AAARRRGGGGHHHH! My eldest sister just called me. She's legally blind but continues to fucking drive. This morning, she went to the pharmacy and on the way back, DROVE THROUGH A TRAIN SIGNAL. Meaning, she hit the arm and completely smashed the windshield of their car. This is the only vehicle they have that can get her husband to work. She asked me for $600 to replace the windshield. Ten days before Christmas.

And my sister is dethroned in the ridiculously stupid and potentially lethal driving decisions sweepstakes.

So the Nazis were all, "If we can't have this art, no one can!"? What a bunch of babies!

Actually just one extra bad Nazi. The leader of the resistance fighters actually went over his head to his boss, a high up SS officer, to stop him. An incredibly risky thing to do, but it helped stall the plan to flood the mines.

You should come over some night and have Hec tell you the whole story in greater detail, possibly over cocktails or something. It's amazing how many other Nazis were willing to sneak around behind the one fanatical guy's back secretly and utterly sabotaging his blow-all-the-art-up plans, including passing info to the Allies and the Resistance.