Most Wanted Art: Unrecovered Art of WWII With the Monuments Men and Women Foundation
This course has already started! However, you can still join if you’d like to (and we hope you will!). Students enrolling after the course start date and time will have access to a recording of the first session (which will be emailed to participants within 72 hours) as well as the option to attend remaining sessions live. Please select the “Join Late” ticket type to enroll after the course has begun.
In this 4-part lecture series, join the Monuments Men and Women Foundation in examining individual cases of stolen artwork that's been missing since WWII.
Course Description
At the end of World War II, the Monuments Men and Women recovered and returned some four million cultural objects, including priceless archival materials and works of art. Still, hundreds of thousands of cultural objects that disappeared during and immediately after the war remain missing today. Join senior researcher of the Monuments Men and Women Foundation Casey Shelton, along with a lineup of special guests, as they examine individual cases of missing works of art that have yet to be found. Each case we cover will be pulled from the Foundation’s WWII Most Wanted Art™ deck of playing cards, put together to bring visibility to some of the most important works of art that have been missing for over 75 years. Each will be comprehensively investigated, its unique story detailed within the broader context of the Nazi looting operations. By the end of this course, you’ll have a deeper understanding of the individual histories of these works of art, their rightful owners, and the larger context of the Nazi looting operations.
Syllabus At A Glance
This course includes four total sessions, each lasting one hour on four consecutive Thursdays beginning August 18.
Session 1 (Thursday, 8/18, 7–8:00 PM ET)| The ERR: The plundering of Jewish collections in France
Session 2 (Thursday, 8/25, 7–8:00 PM ET)| Wartime Losses: The destruction and plundering of Polish cultural heritage
Session 3 (Thursday, 9/1, 7–8:00 PM ET)| Raubkunst: The theft of private collections in Germany
Session 4 (Thursday, 9/8, 7–8:00 PM ET)| Treasures on the Move: The Florentine collections
Course Materials
While there are no required materials for this course, students will receive a discount code upon registration, which they can use if they wish to purchase a deck of the WWII Most Wanted Art™ playing cards (available at the Monuments Men and Women Foundation e-store). Students are encouraged to read the extended write up for each card on the Foundation’s website.
Between Sessions
Outside of class, students will have access to additional readings as well as a bibliography (provided at the end of the course) for those who wish to do further reading on the subject after the class concludes.
Pricing Options
This course is available at three ticket prices. This tiered pricing model is designed to increase access for a wider range of students as well as to support our instructors. In addition to tiered tickets, we offer a limited number of no-pay spots for students who would not otherwise be able to take this course. No-pay spots are selected via a randomized drawing two weeks before each section begins. For more information and to apply for a no-pay spot, please click here. To learn more about our pricing model and randomized selection process for no-pay spots, please visit our FAQ page.
Community Guidelines for Students
Please take a moment to review our community guidelines for students, which aim to share our classroom ethos and help set the stage for the best possible learning experience.
Atlas Obscura Online Courses
Our online courses offer opportunities for participants to emerge with new skills, knowledge, connections, and perspectives through multi-session classes designed and taught by expert instructors. Courses can take one of two forms: Seminars are intimate, interactive classes—capped at nine to 25 students—exploring topics and crafts through discussion, workshops, assignments, and in-class activities. We also offer lecture series that can be attended live, or viewed via a recording that will be shared within 72 hours after each session airs. Class recordings for lecture series will be available with a temporary password for up to two weeks following the final session of the course.
To learn more about our current course offerings, please visit www.atlasobscura.com/online-courses.
For answers to commonly asked questions, check out our FAQ page here.
Once registered, you’ll receive a confirmation email from Eventbrite that will provide access to each class meeting. Please save the confirmation email as you’ll use it to access all sessions of your course via Zoom.
Ms. Shelton holds a B.A. in art history with minors in studio art and chemistry from Winthrop University. After graduation, she remained at her alma mater as an instructor in exhibition practices for the Winthrop University Galleries and a tutor in art history. In the fall of 2015, she joined the Foundation staff after completing an internship that summer. Ms. Shelton developed the Monuments Men and Women database, cataloging biographical information from the research files of all Monuments Men and Women. She has headed the accessioning and cataloging of the Foundation's artifact collection, and assisted in research for the eight-part investigative documentary “Hunting Nazi Treasure,” which aired on History Channel-Canada and Discovery’s American Heroes Channel. In her nearly seven years with the Foundation, she has assisted in numerous projects that have advanced the organization's mission and visibility. Her current focus is researching the many leads the Foundation receives on potentially looted cultural property.
This lecture series is designed so students can participate live or watch a recording of each session, after it airs, at a time that is convenient for them. Sessions will take place live over Zoom, with dedicated Q&A segments for students to ask questions via video or chat. Within 72 hours after each session meets, students will receive access to a recording of the live session, which they can watch for up to two weeks after the course concludes.
Instructors may use Google Classroom to communicate with students outside of class. While students aren’t required to use Google Classroom, instructors may use this platform to post resources, discussion questions, or assignments. This platform also offers a space for students to connect with one another about course material between sessions.
We provide closed captioning for all of our courses and can share transcripts upon request. Please reach out to us at experiences@atlasobscura.com if you have any questions, requests, or accessibility needs.
