This is the story of the men and women of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives division of the US Army during WWII -- the Monuments Men. They risked their lives to protect, salvage, restore and return works of art that were systematically damaged, destroyed, misappropriated or stolen in Europe between the years 1933 (when Hitler became the German chancellor) and 1945 (when the war ended). Though hundreds of thousands of items remain missing or destroyed, through the efforts of the Monuments Men, five million objects were recovered, saving important pieces of history and culture for posterity. Led by art historian Mary Woodward, who serves as a guide at several Historic New England properties. She previously served as Public Programs Coordinator and Educator at the Concord Museum. Woodward has a B.A. in Art History from Furman University and a M.A. in Art History from Emory University. She has 40+ years of experience in museums of all shapes and sizes, from the comprehensive collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art to the one-room log cabin birthplace of President James K. Polk.
