Course Description

Instructor:  Michael McDavid

As the likelihood of war steadily increased in 1939, the French government and the director of the Louvre, Paris’ largest and most renowned museum, decided that the museum in the heart of the city should be evacuated and its treasures hidden, out of reach of Nazi “collectors” and German bombs. In a scenario worthy of novels and the cinema the priceless treasures of the museum were secretly packed, loaded on trucks, and spirited out of the city.  Ultimately the paintings, statuary, and other objects spent the war safely hidden away in various sites around the country.  In this one-session course we will look at the personalities responsible for this amazing, little-known feat and how they were able to bring it off. It’s quite a story.