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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.
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| 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)."
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| 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...")
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| 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)
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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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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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