Monuments Men on the Silver Screen

The American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works applauds The Monuments Men movie, whose cast depict some of those who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program under the Civil Affairs and Military Government Sections of the Allied armies during World War II. This group of approximately 350 men and women protected and preserved millions of pieces of artwork, sculpture, and other cultural artifacts in Europe that had been stolen by the Nazis.
Public awareness of the heroic accomplishments of the Monuments Men is being raised by The Monuments Men movie, based on the book of the same title by Robert Edsel and being released in February. With big-name stars like George Clooney, Matt Damon, Hugh Bonneville, and Cate Blanchett in the film, we hope that while audiences enjoy the action and adventure, they will also leave the film with an appreciation for the importance of preserving cultural heritage. What few know today is that men and women continue in the footsteps of the Monument Men-protecting art for future generations.
The American Institute for Conservation (AIC) honors the Monuments Men, in addition to the profession that grew in the wake of their work. George Stout, depicted by George Clooney in the movie, was one of AIC’s founding members and a proponent of the creation of formal conservation training programs. Conservators today are highly skilled professionals, many of whom are willing and able to respond to human conflicts or natural disasters that threaten cultural property anywhere in the world. AIC members are experts in treating damaged art and educating owners and stewards of art in preservation practices. AIC’s Foundation manages a specially-trained group of experts in emergency preparedness and response (AIC-CERT), teams that respond at no cost to calls for assistance from collecting institutions and others in need following a disaster.
The Monuments Men movie creates an opportunity to highlight the incredible work that AIC members, our modern-day cultural heritage heroes, are performing on a daily basis. To connect the work happening now with the efforts of the Monuments Men in the past, AIC has created a social media campaign to help those interested in the film learn more about conservation projects and the conservators behind the work.
If you are active on social networking sites please use the movie’s hashtag #MonumentsMen, with another hashtag, #TodaysHeroes if you or your organization post on a conservation-related topic. Using both of these hashtags on microblogging and social networking platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., will allow users interested in these topics to find out about the work that you do.