The mention of food reminded Lamont that we ought to pick up a generous supply of rations—the kind called “ten-in-ones”—somewhere along the road. The captain gave us a written order for that, and also provided each of us with a letter stating that we were authorized to “enter art repositories in the area occupied by the Third U. S. Army.” Our earlier permits had referred to specific localities. These were blanket permits—marks of signal favor, we gathered from the ceremonious manner in which they were presented to us.
There were various odds and ends to be attended to before we could get off, among them the business of our PX rations. That was Lamont’s idea. He said that we might not be able to get them later. He was right; they were the last ones we were able to lay our hands on for three weeks.
German altarpiece from the Louvre Museum, by the Master of the Holy Kinship, was acquired by Göring in exchange for paintings from his own collection.
This panel, Mary Magdalene, by van Scorel, was given to Hitler by Göring. Shortly before the war’s end the Führer returned it to Göring for safekeeping.
Wing of an Italian Renaissance altarpiece by del Garbo, representing Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Justin.
Life-size statue of polychromed wood, The Magdalene, by Erhardt, was formerly owned by the Louvre.