Swiss Art Dealers Association connections

Art Historians and Provenance Researchers might find the history of the famed Swiss Art Trading Association to be an interesting source of study

1. The OSS Art Looting Investigation Unit had this to say about Dr. Willi Raeber in 1946 when they placed him on the Red Flag List of Names.

"Raeber, Dr Willi. Basle, St Albans Anlage 68. Prominent art dealer. Vice president of the Swiss syndicate of art dealers and its most active member. Involved in various looted art transactions. Possessed certain paintings on the Allied List. Contact of Hofer and Wuester."

The ALIU also specified that Raeber was involved in trafficking Courbet's  Woman Asleep At Table which the Nazi looting organisation known as the E.R.R. had seized from the Paul Rosenberg collection:

Truessel, Dr Fritz.  Bern, Beautusstrasse 32.  Was offered the Matisse Open Window confiscated by the ERR from the Paul Rosenberg Collection, by Martin. Purchased the Courbet, Woman Asleep At Table confiscated from the Paul Rosenberg collection by the ERR.  This painting was imported into Switzerland in April 1942 by German diplomatic bag, given by Wendland to Fischer for sale, then passed into the hands of Willi Raeber and finally to Truessel,  Max Stoecklin was also involved. 

2. Gottfried Tanner was also put on the ALIU Red Flag list. The investigators described his activities as follows:

Tanner. Zurich, Bahnhofstrasse 39. President of the Federation of Swiss Art Dealers. Involved in the traffic of looted works of art having sold a Renoir, Girl with a Fishing Net, confiscated by the ERR from the Paul Rosenberg Collection. The painting was received by Tanner from Neupert of Zurich. May have other looted objects. Possibly involved in the disposal in Switzerland of the two paintings by Corot confiscated by the Germans from the Bennheim firm in Paris in 1940, and most recently held by Frau Veraguth of Zurich.

 

3. Peter Nathan, who was born only in 1925, was not on the ALIU Red Flag list, unlike his father, and business partner, Fritz Nathan, about whom the ALIU wrote:

Nathan, Dr Fritz. St Gallen, Rorschacherstrasse 25. German refugee art dealer in Switzerland since 1935. Adviser to Buehrle, and intermediary between Fischer, Hofer and Buehrle. Has denied knowledge that paintings and drawings acquired by Buehrle from Fischer were looted; all evidence to the contrary.

(Fritz Nathan has been a frequent topic here because of the simply unbelievable number of misspellings, mistranscriptions, miscodings, data errors, odd redirects and other improbable shannanigans surrounding his digital records, especially where Emil Bührle is concerned).

4. As for Eberhard Kornfeld, neither he nor his partner Klipstein were mentioned by the ALIU.  However....

Kornfeld is probably best known these days as  the dealer whose cash payment to Cornelius Gurlitt (son of Hitler's dealer Hildebrand Gurlitt) was discovered on a train between Switzerland and Germany, setting off the investigation that led to the (still ongoing) Gurlitt scandal. 

Kornfeld also has attracted media attention for his role in several claims concerning demands for restitution of Nazi-looted art 

"Kornfeld told Swiss Public Television, SRF, that he paid Gurlitt in cash or by cheque for the artworks he sold."

"he travelled to Zurich every four to six weeks and fetched his €9,000 to pay his living costs. He had no job. He lived off the sales of works in this collection." 

"It was during one of those trips that the elderly recluse first drew the attention of the German customs authorities. In a fast train from Zurich to Munich on Sept. 22, 2010, they searched him to find €9,000 in cash – below the limit of €10,000, but enough to arouse suspicion."

- Gurlitt’s Swiss dealer breaks silence on his client (Swissinfo)

Kornfeld served as president of the Swiss Art Trading Association for 37 years (1959-1996) (with Peter Nathan as vice-president).

4. Walter Feilchenfeldt, also known as Walter Feichenfeldt Jr to distinguish him from his father, the art dealer of the same name, took over from 1997 until 2007 with Doris Ammann as vice-president .

 

Switzerland: Kunsthaus Zurich Provenance 2

Kunsthaus Zurich: List of artworks by artist first name (B) with inventory number and provenance*:

Balthasar van der Ast, 1593 1657 Stillleben mit Früchten, Muscheln und Insekten, um 1625 Öl auf Holz Kunsthaus Zürich, Stiftung Betty und David Koetser, 1986 Inv. Nr. KS.9	Inv. Nr. KS.9	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1986, Leihgabe Provenienz, David Koetser (Sammler/-in) Verbleib unbekannt Provenienz, Privatbesitz, Schweiz Verbleib unbekannt Provenienz, Balthasar van der Ast (Künstler/-in)	Balthasar van der Ast
Balz Stäger, 1861 1937 Am Walensee, undatiert Öl auf Leinwand Kunsthaus Zürich, Sammlung Dr. H. E. Mayenfisch, 1929 Inv. Nr. 2098	Inv. Nr. 2098	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1929 Provenienz, Hans E. Mayenfisch (Sammler/-in), bis 1929 Provenienz, Balz Stäger (Künstler/-in)	Balz Stäger
Baptist Hoerbst, 1850 1927 Porträtbüste Stadtrat Heinrich Landolt-Mousson, 1885 Gips, patiniert Kunsthaus Zürich, Legat Stadtrat Heinrich Landolt- Mousson, 1918 Inv. Nr. 1232	Inv. Nr. 1232	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1918, Vermächtnis Provenienz, Heinrich Landolt-Mousson (Sammler/-in) Provenienz, Baptist Hoerbst (Künstler/-in)	Baptist Hoerbst
Barnett Newman, 1905 1970 Der Augenblick I / The Moment I, 1962 Öl auf ungrundierter Leinwand Kunsthaus Zürich, 1988 Inv. Nr. 1988.0024	Inv. Nr. 1988.0024	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1988 Kunsthandel, The Pace Gallery (Galerie), New York, bis 1988 Provenienz, DIA Art Foundation, New York Provenienz, Privatsammlung, New York Provenienz, Barnett Newman (Künstler/-in)	Barnett Newman
Barthélemy Menn, 1815 1893 Waadtländer Mädchen mit Schlüsselblumen, um 1845 Öl auf Leinwand Kunsthaus Zürich, Gottfried Keller-Stiftung, Bundesamt für Kultur, Bern, 1925 Inv. Nr. 1602	Inv. Nr. 1602	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1925, Leihgabe Provenienz, Gottfried Keller-Stiftung (Sammlung), Bundesamt für Kultur, Bern Kunsthandel, G. & L. Bollag (Kunsthandel), Zürich, 28.XI.1924, Lot 123 Verbleib unbekannt Provenienz, Barthélemy Menn (Künstler/-in)	Barthélemy Menn
Barthélemy Menn, 1815 1893 Landschaft, um 1880/1890 Öl auf Karton Kunsthaus Zürich, Geschenk der Kunsthandlung Salon Bollag, 1922 Inv. Nr. 1452	Inv. Nr. 1452	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1922, Geschenk Kunsthandel, Salon Bollag, bis 1922 Provenienz, Barthélemy Menn (Künstler/-in)	Barthélemy Menn
Bartolomeo Montagna, 1449 1523 Kreuztragender Christus / Cristo portacroce, um 1515 Öl auf Leinwand Kunsthaus Zürich, Vereinigung Zürcher Kunstfreunde, 2002 Inv. Nr. 2003.0001	Inv. Nr. 2003.0001	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, seit 2003, Leihgabe Provenienz, Vereinigung Zürcher Kunstfreunde (Sammlung), Zürich, 2003 Provenienz, Mario Grassi Studio, New York Provenienz, Silvano Lodi, Campione d'Italia Provenienz, Tribolati, Lugano Kunsthandel, Kunsthandel Vogel, Luzern Verbleib unbekannt Provenienz, Bartolomeo Montagna (Künstler/-in)	Bartolomeo Montagna
Ben Nicholson, 1894 1982 November 1957, Yellow Trevose, 1957 Öl auf Leinwand Kunsthaus Zürich, Vereinigung Zürcher Kunstfreunde, Geschenk Elisabeth Bechtler-Staub, 1959 Inv. Nr. 1959.10	Inv. Nr. 1959.10	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1959, Leihgabe Provenienz, Vereinigung Zürcher Kunstfreunde (Sammlung), Zürich, 1959, Geschenk Provenienz, Elisabeth Bechtler-Staub (Sammler/-in), bis 1959 Provenienz, Ben Nicholson (Künstler/-in)	Ben Nicholson
Benjamin Gerritsz. Cuyp, 1612 1652 Die Bekehrung des Paulus, um 1645/1650 Öl auf Eichenholz Kunsthaus Zürich, Ruzicka-Stiftung, 1949 Inv. Nr. R.7	Inv. Nr. R.7	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1949 Provenienz, Leopold Ruzicka (Sammler/-in), 1939 Kunsthandel, Galerie Neupert (Galerie), Zürich Verbleib unbekannt Provenienz, Albert Grossmann (Sammler/-in), Brombach (Baden) Verbleib unbekannt Provenienz, Benjamin Gerritz. Cuyp (Künstler/-in)	Benjamin Gerritsz. Cuyp
Benjamin Vautier, 1829 1898 Störende Geschwister, 1893 Öl auf Leinwand Kunsthaus Zürich, Vermächtnis August Weidmann, 1929 Inv. Nr. 1936	Inv. Nr. 1936	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1929, Vermächtnis Provenienz, August Weidmann (Sammler/-in), Thalwil Provenienz, Benjamin Vautier (Künstler/-in)	Benjamin Vautier
Bernard Buffet, 1928 1999 Stilleben mit Pfanne / Nature morte à la casserole, 1949 Öl auf Leinwand Kunsthaus Zürich, Legat Rosa Schlesinger-Karkowski, 1983 Inv. Nr. 1983.28	Inv. Nr. 1983.28	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1983, Vermächtnis Provenienz, Rosa Schlesinger-Karkowski (Sammler/-in), Zürich Provenienz, Bernard Buffet (Künstler/-in)	Bernard Buffet
Bernard Buffet, 1928 1999 Stilleben mit Feigen / Nature morte aux figues, 1950 Öl auf Leinwand Kunsthaus Zürich, Legat Rosa Schlesinger-Karkowski, 1983 Inv. Nr. 1983.29	Inv. Nr. 1983.29	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1983, Vermächtnis Provenienz, Rosa Schlesinger-Karkowski (Sammler/-in), Zürich Provenienz, Bernard Buffet (Künstler/-in)	Bernard Buffet
Bernardo Bellotto, 1721 1780 Das Dorf Gazzada / Veduta di Gazzada, 1744 Öl auf Leinwand Kunsthaus Zürich, Stiftung Betty und David Koetser, 1986 Inv. Nr. KS.64	Inv. Nr. KS.64	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1986, Leihgabe Provenienz, David Koetser (Sammler/-in) Verbleib unbekannt Provenienz, Privatbesitz Provenienz, Bernardo Bellotto (Künstler/-in)	Bernardo Bellotto
Bernardo Bellotto, 1721 1780 Blick von der Piazzetta zu Santa Maria della Salute / resso al Canal Grande con la Salute, dalla Piazzetta , um 1740/1742 Öl auf Leinwand Kunsthaus Zürich, Stiftung Betty und David Koetser, 1986 Inv. Nr. KS.63	Inv. Nr. KS.63	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1986, Leihgabe Provenienz, Stiftung Betty und David Koetser Kunsthandel, Christie`s London (Kunsthandel), London, 11.VII.1980, Lot 120 Verbleib unbekannt Provenienz, Sammlung Du Cane (Sammlung), Limerick (Irland) Verbleib unbekannt Provenienz, Bernardo Bellotto (Künstler/-in)	Bernardo Bellotto
Bernardo Bellotto, 1721 1780 Die Ruinen der Kreuzkirche in Dresden / Rovine della Kreuzkirche di Dresda, 1765 Öl auf Leinwand Kunsthaus Zürich, Stiftung Betty und David Koetser, 1994 Inv. Nr. KS.70	Inv. Nr. KS.70	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich, ab 1994, Leihgabe Provenienz, Betty und David M. Koetser Kunsthandel, Sotheby`s (Kunsthandel), New York, 13.I.1994 Provenienz, Peter Jay Sharp, New York, Kauf Provenienz, Richard L. Feigen, New York Verbleib unbekannt Kunsthandel, Phillips (Kunsthandel), London, 13.V.1986, Lot 67 Verbleib unbekannt Provenienz, Bruno Jellinek, Wien, 1943 Verbleib unbekannt Kunsthandel, Versteigerung Dorotheum, Wien, 14.X.1941 Verbleib unbekannt Kunsthandel, Versteigerung Dorotheum, Wien, 18.-20.V.1931, Lot 1 Verbleib unbekannt Provenienz, Versteigerung Dorotheum, Wien, 4.-6.VI.1930, Lot 203 Verbleib unbekannt Provenienz, Schloss Warschau, 1818 Verbleib unbekannt Provenienz, Gräfin Maria Teresa Tyszkiewicz, 1813 Verbleib unbekannt Provenienz, geerbt von Prinz Joseph Poniatowski, 1798 Provenienz, Vermutlich Geschenk des Künstlers an König Stanislaus August Poniatowski, 1767 Provenienz, Bernardo Bellotto (Künstler/-in)	Bernardo Bellotto
Bernhard Luginbühl, 1929 2011 U S C F, 1963 Eisen, geschmiedet, geschweisst und geschraubt Kunsthaus Zürich, 1964 Inv. Nr. 1964.9	Inv. Nr. 1964.9	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1964 Kunsthandel, Galerie Renée Ziegler (Galerie), Zürich, 1964 Provenienz, Bernhard Luginbühl (Künstler/-in)	Bernhard Luginbühl
Bernhard Luginbühl, 1929 2011 Josef Boss, 1971 Eisen, geschweisst, geschraubt und braunrot gestrichen Kunsthaus Zürich, 1971 Inv. Nr. 1971.3	Inv. Nr. 1971.3	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1971 Kunsthandel, Galerie Renée Ziegler (Galerie), Zürich, 1971 Provenienz, Bernhard Luginbühl (Künstler/-in)	Bernhard Luginbühl
Betty Nägeli, 1854 nach1908 Dorfeingang, 1889 Öl auf Leinwand Kunsthaus Zürich, Geschenk der Künstlerin, 1890 Inv. Nr. 508	Inv. Nr. 508	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1890, Geschenk Provenienz, Betty Nägeli (Künstler/-in), bis 1890	Betty Nägeli
Bodensee um 1540 Anna Selbdritt, um 1540 Öl auf Holz Kunsthaus Zürich, 1928 Inv. Nr. 1909	Inv. Nr. 1909	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1928 Provenienz, Dr. Lapp (Sammlung), Frankfurt, bis 1928 Verbleib unbekannt	Bodensee um 1540 Anna Selbdritt
Bodensee um 1540 Heilige Katharina, Rückseite: Engel mit der Martersäule respektive Kreuz, um 1540 Öl auf Holz Kunsthaus Zürich, 1928 Inv. Nr. 1908	Inv. Nr. 1908	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1928 Provenienz, Dr. Lapp (Sammler/-in), Frankfurt, bis 1928 Verbleib unbekannt	Bodensee um 1540 Heilige Katharina
Bodjol, 1919 2006 Sitzende Frau, 1948 Öl auf Leinwand auf Karton Kunsthaus Zürich, Sammlung Dr. H. E. Mayenfisch, 1949 Inv. Nr. 1949.26	Inv. Nr. 1949.26	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1949 Provenienz, Hans E. Mayenfisch (Sammler/-in), bis 1949 Provenienz, Bodjol (Künstler/-in)	Bodjol
Brigitta Erny, 1898 1975 Meine Grossmutter, 1953 Öl auf Pavatex Kunsthaus Zürich, Geschenk Frau J. Bauer-Erny, 1976 Inv. Nr. 1976.12	Inv. Nr. 1976.12	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1976, Geschenk Provenienz, Isanthe Bauer-Erny, Weiningen, bis 1976 Provenienz, Brigitta Erny (Künstler/-in)	Brigitta Erny
Bruno Meier, 1905 1967 Mondschein in Eygalières / Clair de lune à Eygalières, um 1964/1965 Tempera auf Leinwand Kunsthaus Zürich, 1967 Inv. Nr. 1967.56	Inv. Nr. 1967.56	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1967, Kauf aus der Ausstellung im Helmhaus Zürich Provenienz, Bruno Meier (Künstler/-in)	Bruno Meier
Bruno Meier, 1905 1967 Flaschen Nr. 161, 1953/1954 Öl auf Leinwand Kunsthaus Zürich, Leihgabe des Kantons Zürich, 1955 Inv. Nr. 1955.8	Inv. Nr. 1955.8	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1955, Leihgabe Provenienz, Kanton Zürich (Sammlung), Zürich, Inv.-Nr. 1571 Provenienz, Bruno Meier (Künstler/-in)	Bruno Meier
Bruno Mertens, 1914 2010 Gegensätzlich-konkrete Spannungsfelder, 1967 Tempera auf Jute auf Holz Kunsthaus Zürich, Geschenk von Susanna Bürki und Bruno Mertens, 1985 Inv. Nr. 1985.32	Inv. Nr. 1985.32	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1985, Geschenk Provenienz, Susanna Bürki und Bruno Mertens, bis 1985 Provenienz, Bruno Mertens (Künstler/-in)	Bruno Mertens
Bruno Piglhein, 1848 1894 Centaurenpaar am Meeresstrand, um 1883 Öl auf Leinwand Kunsthaus Zürich, Geschenk Adolf Tobler-Blumer, 1903 Inv. Nr. 779	Inv. Nr. 779	Provenienz, Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft | Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum), Zürich, ab 1903, Geschenk Provenienz, A. Tobler-Blumer (Sammler/-in), bis 1903 Provenienz, Bruno Piglhein (Künstler/-in)	Bruno Piglhein

*data source:  selection from Werkliste der Gemälde und Skulpturen im Kunsthaus Zürich mit Provenienzen (PDF)
Download Google Spreadsheet with selected artworks from the Kunsthaus Zurich PDF 

FOLD3: Red Flag Name Fritz Nathan entered as Fritz Najean

Digital Humanities can help find information if the information is correctly digitized. But if names are misspelled, they will be invisible to a digital search function.

FOLD3, the excellent digital archive associated with NARA, the National Archives, has a problem with the transcriptions of the Art Looting Investigation Unit Red Flag List of Names. And the problem seems to be getting worse, not better.
If one searches the ALIU Final Report for "Nathan" one will find Nathan Katz. The entry for Fritz Nathan will not appear in the search.

If one knows that there is an entry for Fritz Nathan in the Switzerland section of the Art Looting Investigation Unit Red Flag List and goes to the page where it appears, one can see on the image the entry for (*) Nathan, Dr. Fritz. However the list of searchable names on the left side of the screen shows, not Fritz Nathan, but a "Fritz Najean".

There is no such person as Fritz Najean in the actual ALIU Reports. However, if one searches on "Najean" the record will appear.

If, however, one searches on "Nathan", one will only find Nathan, Katz. Not Fritz Nathan.

This kind of data error should be of concern to digital humanities scholars, art historians, provenance researchers, and archivists.

see FOLD3 https://www.fold3.com/image/232006332 for Fritz Nathan aka Najean entry

For other ALIU Reports on Fold3 see:

CIRs: https://www.fold3.com/browse/114/hvMxROzkdWx-J5nVj

DIRs https://www.fold3.com/browse/114/hvMxROzkdSyceieW2

Final (including Red Flag List) https://www.fold3.com/browse/114/hvMxROzkd1ZVdGNv9C7Gz495S


****

For more digital transcription errors concerning Fritz Nathan see also:

- National Archives: Holocaust era assets, where Nathan is digitized as "Mathan".

https://www.archives.gov/research/holocaust/finding-aid/military/part-2-notes.html

- Buehrle, Emil entry in the digitized publication of the ALIU Red Flag List, where Nathan is transcribed as "Natman".

https://www.lootedart.com/MVI3RM469661

Misspellings in ALIU Red Flag Names: Nathan, Natman, Cailler Caillier Caillek; Skira Seira

OSS Art Looting Investigation Unit Reports, 1945-46: Albert Skira FOLD3 https://www.fold3.com/image/232006349

The OSS Art Looting Investigation Unit Red Flag List of Names can be consulted on the internet in a number of different versions. There are transcriptions as well as PDFs of photographs. The National Archives, Fold3, the New York Department of Financial Services and LootedArt.com all provide online versions.

The multiplicity of sources enables us to compare versions and to detect misspellings or erroneous transcriptions.

This post looks at a couple of errors that have made their way into the public record. The examples are taken from the "Switzerland" section in the ALIU Final Report Red Flag list of names.

Pierre Cailler (1901-1971) and Albert Skira (1904-1973) were Swiss publishers specialised in art history who collaborated in the 1940s according to the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.

Pierre Cailler and Albert Skira were also involved in the Nazi-era art trade, according to the OSS Art Looting Investigation Unit, which listed both of them as "Red Flags" in its Final Report in the section concerning Switzerland.

Pierre Cailler: Art Looting Investigation Unit: Final Report Subject Files, compiled 1944 - 1946, documenting the period 1940 - 1946 NARA 1537311 https://www.fold3.com/image/273355681

The spelling of their names, however, in the transcriptions of these reports contains some errors.

"Caillier, Pierre. Geneva. Partner in the firm of Editions d’Art Albert Skira SA, Geneva and suspected of trafficking in loot."
-ALIU Red Flag List of Names (transcription published on looted art.com)


While in some instances, Skira and Cailler are spelled correctly, in others Cailler is transcribed as Caillier and Skira is transcribed as Seira.

Renou et Colle. Paris, 165 rue du Fbg St Honore. Firm of art dealers who handled looted art, notably from the Paul Rosenberg Collection. Contact of Gurlitt and Skira. Schenker documents indicate sales to German buyers. -ALIU Red Flag List of Names (transcription published on looted art.com)




Seira, Albert. Geneva, 4 place du Molart. Owner of publishing firm ‘Editions d’Art ‘; on British and American Proclaimed Lists. Partner of Pierre Cailler and son-in-law of Lionello Venturi, celebrated Italian anti-Fascist art historian, long resident of France and the United States. Imported a large number of works of art from France during the German occupation, and upon request, submitted lists to the British and French diplomatic missions in Switzerland to prove that all objects were acquired and imported legitimately. Suspected strongly of having smuggled additional objects into Switzerland through diplomatic channels (possibly South American) and illicit border activity. Purchased from Renou et Colle, Fabiani, Raphael Gerard, Carre and a group of sixteen less important Parisian dealers. Contact of von Frey. Believed to be playing a double game with earlier strong connections in the French underground. No claims pending against him on the part of the French Government, but appears to be an unsolved case of potential importance.
-ALIU Red Flag List of Names (transcription published on looted art.com)

These misspellings complicate digital research, as search engines don't know they are variants of the same name, even though a human can easily see that Cailler is the "Partner in the firm of Editions d’Art Albert Skira SA" and that Skira is the "Partner of Pierre Cailler" by a simple visual crosscheck (in bold).

And if any doubt remains, photographs of the original investigation are available, so the spelling in the transcriptions can be checked.
("It has however been reported that pictures have been smuggled in through Geneva, by M. Albert Skira (French and Swiss sources)."

NARA M1944. Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas, 1943-1946. https://www.fold3.com/image/270257351

("According to Skira, subject recently sold a fake Manet...")

Pierre Cailler Card File on Art-Looting Suspects, compiled 1943 - 1946 https://www.fold3. com/image/270085049 National Archives Catalog ID:1518884

Albert Skira and Pierre Cailler are not the only names to have been mistranscribed.

One notices similar issues for the transcription of Fritz Nathan, also in the Swiss section of the ALIU Final Report. Nathan is various transcribed as Natman (looted art), Mathan (Smithsonian) and even Najean (Fold3) - errors which can complicate digital research, as a search for "Nathan" will not pick up the texts. 

"Emil Buehrle of Oerlikon, Switzerland, a German munitions magnate and owner of the Oerlikon arms factory, believed to have been a naturalized Swiss. Believed to have been an important recipient of looted works of art by purchase from Fischer and Wendland; advised principally Mathan and Montag; and, made direct purchase in Paris from Dequoy."
- National Archives, Holocaust Era Assets, Military Agency Recordshttps://www.archives.gov/research/holocaust/finding-aid/military/part-2-notes.html

Buehrle, Emil. Oerlikon (nr Zurich). German munitions magnate, resident in Switzerland for twenty years. Believed naturalised Swiss. Owner of the Oerlikon arms factory. Important recipient of looted works of art by purchase from Fischer and Wendland. Advised principally by Natman and Montag. Direct purchases in Paris from Dequoy.


Nathan, Dr Fritz. St Gallen, Rorschacherstrasse 25. German refugee art dealer in Switzerland since 1935. Adviser to Buehrle, and intermediary between Fischer, Hofer and Buehrle. Has denied knowledge that paintings and drawings acquired by Buehrle from Fischer were looted; all evidence to the contrary.


Fortunately, there, too, photos of the original documents exist which can quickly establish the correct spelling.
Researchers of art market networks who rely exclusively on digital searches, however, may miss out on useful information.

sources:

FOLD3
https://www.fold3.com/image/270257351
NARA M1944. Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas, 1943-1946.
English, French, German M1944 239 2007 0092 1537311
Subject Files, compiled 1944 - 1946, documenting the period 1940 - 1946 Subject File Swiss Reports 1940 - 1946
The National Archives (http://www.archives.gov)

Card File on Art-Looting Suspects, E-F › Page 139 - Fold3.com

https://www.fold3.com/document/270106469/

Later on this painting was seen at the home of SKIRA (qv), who xhad brought it into Switzerland. (3) 4M& (4) XX 9037-7-a p. 6 French Dealer List (Vaucher) (5) ...

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London Dispatch No. 24195, Dated July 11, 1945, From John H. Scarff ...

https://www.fold3.com/document/270104207/

French and Swiss sources reported also that pictures may have been smuggled through Geneva by a certain Albert Skira. With ver" few exceptions neither the ...

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RECORDS OF THE AMERICAN COMMISSION FOR THE ... - Fold3

https://www.fold3.com/document/270085049/

May 5, 2011 - CAILLEK, Pierre Ind. Swiss Address: Geneva Subject was partner in the firm of Edition d'art Albert SKIRA (qv), S. A., Geneva. (l) According to ...

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Authority files:

Pierre Cailler: GND: 1064888194 | VIAF: 54070749 | Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse: URL: http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/f/F27704.php  |  ULAN:
Albert Skira: GND: 121601994 | VIAF: 54268876 | Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse URL: http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/f/F27771.php |  ULAN: http://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500326106