“Your name’s not on the passenger list,” said Craig when I walked into the waiting room of the Patuxent airport. “You’d better see what you can do about it.” It was a hot spring night and I had just flown down from Washington, expecting to board a transatlantic plane which was scheduled to take off at midnight. “There must be some mistake,” I said. “I checked on that just before I left Washington.” Craig went with me to the counter where I asked the pretty WAVE on duty to look up my name. ...

Excerpt: "From May 1945 until February 1946, I served as a Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Officer in Germany. During the first four months of this assignment, I was engaged in field work which included the recovery of looted works of art from such out-of-the-way places as a monastery in Czechoslovakia, a salt mine in Austria, and a castle in Bavaria. Later, as Deputy Chief of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section, Office of Military Government, U. S. Zone, I participated in the ...

"Salt Mines and Castles" by Thomas Carr Howe delves into the intricate world of art restitution, focusing on the looted treasures of Europe during tumultuous times. The book explores the historical context of art theft, particularly during wars, and the subsequent efforts to reclaim these invaluable pieces. Howe's narrative is rich with anecdotes and insights, shedding light on the moral and ethical dilemmas faced by art historians and institutions as they navigate the complex landscape of...